im 


A.IugeneBartlett 

^^fr 


1 .06 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELE? 


HARBOR  JIM 


SIGNAL  HILL,  HARBOUR  OF  ST.  JOHNS. 


HARBOR  JIM 

OF  NEWFOUNDLAND 


By 
A.  EUGENE  BARTLETT,  D.D. 

Author  of  "The  Joy  Maker,"  «tc. 


NEW  YORK  CHICAGO 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

LONDON      AND     EDINBURGH 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  CQMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  75  Princes  Street 


To  those  Newfoundlanders  who,  in  gathering 
harvests  from  the  sea  for  the  world's  hungry, 
have  garnered  for  themselves  both  faith  and 
courage,  I  dedicate  this  book. 


2125696 


Contents 

I.  JIM  AND  BOB 9 

II.  THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM     .        .        .20 

III.  AN  ENGAGEMENT  As  PLANNED  .        .     30 

IV.  SOME  MIRACLES 40 

V.  "  I  ASKED  FOR  FISH  ".        ...    49 

VI.  LIVIN'  ALONG     .        .        .        .        .56 

VII.  THE  HEAVEN  HOME    .        .        .        .61 

VIII.  CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS  .        .    68 

IX.    HONEY-MOONING  ON  THE  FLAKES         .      80 

X.  JIM  AND  His  BOOK      .        .        .        .86 
XL  RAILROADING  WITH  THE  KID       .        .    93 

XII.  THROUGH  THE  VALLEY  WITH  THE  LIT- 
TLE FELLOW 100 

XIII.  THE  QUEER  ONE       .       .       .       .107 


JIM  AND  BOB 

BOB  McCARTNEY  was  spreading  cod  on 
the  flakes  and  I  was  watching  him  and 
estimating  the  chances  of  better  weather. 
The  sun  had  not  succeeded  in  rolling  back  the 
fog  and  St.  John's  was  still  half  asleep  in  blank- 
ets of  mist.  Signal  Hill  was  altogether  hidden  and 
the  harbor  entrance  could  not  be  seen.  In  the 
water-soaked  atmosphere  the  flakes  were  merged 
together  and  the  tiny  houses  of  the  fishers  were 
almost  joined  into  one  long  rambling  house. 
The  air  was  heavy  with  the  smell  of  fish  and 
the  morning  was  not  conducive  to  enthusiastic 
conversation. 

Bob  McCartney  was  a  Newfoundlander  born 
and  bred  and  had  left  with  his  ancestors  in  Ireland 
the  gift  of  blarney.  This  morning  in  particular  he 
contented  himself  with  monosyllabic  answers,  that 
occasionally  did  not  come  even  to  the  estate  words, 
but  ended  only  in  an  effective  grunt.  Finally  he 
condescended  to  speak  a  whole  sentence  with  some 
little  life  in  his  voice. 

;<  Yes,  I  guess  she's  agoin'  to  lift,  fer  there  goes 
Harbor  Jim." 

I  strained  my  eyes  to  see  thru  the  fog  and  could 
9 


10  HARBOR  JIM 

just  discern  a  sail  boat  headed  toward  what  I  sup- 
posed was  the  harbor  entrance. 

"  And  who  is  Harbor  Jim?  "  I  asked. 

"  Why,  he's  my  friend  and  he  can  knock  spalls 
off'n  any  Lander  in  the  Dominion,"  replied  Bob 
and  then  lapsed  into  silence  as  he  went  on  slowly 
laying  out  his  cod  on  the  flakes. 

Just  then  the  sun  made  a  gain  and  succeeded  in 
piercing  thru  the  fog  and  I  saw,  suddenly,  a  little 
boat  some  seventy-five  yards  out  from  the  shore, 
and  standing  out  near  the  bow  stood  a  man  as  erect 
as  the  mast  behind  him,  and  looking  straight  out 
to  sea. 

"There's  Harbor  Jim!"  and  Bob  pointed  over 
his  shoulder  in  the  direction  of  the  boat  as  he  spoke 
the  words. 

It  gave  me  a  thrill,  as  the  light  brought  him 
sharply  to  my  attention,  to  see  him  standing  there, 
intently  looking  toward  the  harbor  entrance.  I 
looked  from  the  shore  even  as  he  looked  from  his 
boat  and  the  sun  at  that  moment  uncovered  the 
rocks  on  both  sides.  He  lifted  his  hand  and  the 
helper  behind  him  brought  the  sail  to  the  faint 
breeze  that  was  springing  up,  and  the  boat  headed 
for  the  harbor  entrance  and  the  open  sea. 

The  sun  seemed  to  lift  Bob's  spirit  and  the  sight 
of  Harbor  Jim  to  warm  the  cockles  of  his  heart, 
for  he  began  in  a  good-natured  drawl  to  tell  me  of 
the  finding  of  his  friend. 


JIM  AND  BOB  11 

"  It  was  the  third  week  in  March,  eleven  years 
ago,  come  next  spring,  that  we  were  sealing  down 
North.  Harbor  Jim  and  I  were  then  on  Cap'en 
Boynton's  ship.  I  didn't  know  Jim  then  more'n 
any  other  fellow.  It  was  an  odd  kind  of  a  trip. 
For  days  it  hung  nasty  and  we  couldn't  have  seen 
a  seal  if  he  had  been  within  shot  of  us. 

"  Then,  one  day,  I  think  it  was  a  Friday,  but  that 
doesn't  matter,  it  come  bright  and  sparkling  and 
grew  cold.  By  noon  our  ship  was  frozen  in  the 
ice,  and  we  were  waiting  and  hoping  the  look-out 
would  see  seals.  The  ice  had  been  piled  up  in  some 
places  and  just  south  it  looked  like  a  town,  a  little 
village  with  houses  and  meeting  house  and  school, 
all  a  sparklin'  pretty.  I  never  seed  bluer  sky,  deep 
as  chicory  flowers  and  you  could  see  fer  miles, 
seems  though  you  was  a-goin'  to  see  thru  it  almost 
to  'tother  side  o'  the  world. 

"  Long  about  two  o'clock  the  look-out  yelled : 
'  Seals  to  the  nor-east ! ' 

"  No  sooner  did  he  yell  than  the  Cap'en  shouted : 
*  Look  alive  men !  Over  and  after ! ' 

"  Then  with  gaffs  and  guns  and  ropes  we  went 
over  the  ship's  side  and  after  the  seals.  The  ice 
was  uncertain  and  some  of  the  men  went  thru  the 
crust  into  the  sea,  but  we  quickly  pulled  them  out 
and  were  off  agin. 

"  Now  in  the  days  before  we  had  decided  to 
make  a  contest  of  it,  as  we  often  did.  It  made 


12  HARBOR  JIM 

good  sport  and  we  would  get  more  seals.  Harbor 
Jim  and  I  had  chosen  up,  like  they  do  in  a  spellin' 
bee,  and  all  the  men  had  been  divided  into  two 
sides  to  see  which  one  on'em  would  bring  the  big- 
gest load  o'  seals  back  to  the  ship. 

"Unfortunately  the  seals  were  some  distance 
from  the  ship  and  it  was  after  two  when  we  started. 
We  were  so  intent  on  getting  the  catch  that  we 
failed  to  note  it  was  not  only  beginning  to  snow, 
but  also  getting  on  toward  the  end  o'  the  day. 

"  At  the  moment  when  we  should  have  turned 
back,  I  saw  an  old  hood,  that's  an  old  seal  that  pulls 
a  visor  over  his  eyes  and  fights  to  a  finish.  I'd 
been  tender-hearted  and  passed  by  just  then  a 
young  seal  that  looked  kinder  pitiful  at  me  and 
begged  for  life  and  I  resolved  that  I'd  get  the  old 
hood,  come  what  would.  He  lured  me  away  from 
the  crowd,  and  when  I  finally  succeeded  in  silenc- 
ing him,  the  men  were  gone,  and  thru  the  snow  I 
could  not  see  the  ship. 

"  Worse  luck  still  the  ice-pan  on  which  I  stood 
was  beginning  to  shake  and  break  up.  I  thought 
of  the  woman  at  home  and  the  boy,  and  I  thought 
of  freezing  to  death  out  to  sea  and  I  guess,  too,  I 
thought  o'  my  sins.  The  other  fellows  had  gone 
back  to  the  ship  and  I  was  alone,  facing  the  cold, 
the  storm  and  the  night.  Then  I  began  to  shout  in 
the  hope  that  they  were  not  too  far  away  to  hear 
me.  After  some  waiting,  that  seemed  longer  than 


JIM  AND  BOB  13 

probably  'twas,  I  beared  two  words  and  I  don't 
honest  think,  if  I  gets  to  Paradise  and  the  good 
Lord  says,  *  Come,  Bob,  there's  room/  it'll  sound 
half  so  good  as  it  did  to  me  then  when  I  heared 
ringing  out : 

"  '  Comin',  Bob ! '  It  was  the  shout  of  Harbor 
Jim.  I  kept  hollering  and  he  found  me  and  to- 
gether we  made  our  way  back.  I  don't  know  jes' 
how  and  I  don't  believe  he  does,  but  when  we 
reached  the  rest,  we  joined  hands  and  felt  our  way 
back  to  the  ship. 

"  I  have  asked  him  about  it,  many  a  time,  but  he 
always  says,  'He  showed  me  the  way,  Bob,  and 
He'll  show  you  the  way.  Ask  Him,  Bob.' 

"  He  went  after  me  when  all  the  rest  said  he  was 
a  fool  and  a  riskin'  of  his  life.  That's  how  I  found 
my  friend  and  I  don't  believe  Jonathan  ever  loved 
David  more'n  I  love  Jim.  He  never  goes  scow- 
ways;  he  always  sails  straight.  But  you  mustn't 
think  I  am  the  only  one  that  loves  him.  Jerusalem 
spriggins,  I  do  believe  the  whole  world  would  love 
Jim,  if  they  only  could  know  him." 

The  lethargy  that  had  been  born  out  of  the  morn- 
ing had  completely  disappeared.  Bob  had  become 
all  animation  as  he  told  of  the  finding  of  his  friend. 
If  I  had  not  known  that  Bob  was  a  man  who  never 
showed  his  feelings,  except  in  most  orderly  and 
measured  fashion,  I  should  have  thought,  once  or 
twice,  that  the  tears  were  starting,  but  it  must  have 


14,  HARBOR  JIM 

been  the  dampness  of  the  morning,  that  the  sun 
was  now  fast  drying  up. 

The  city  of  St.  John's  now  stood  out  clear  in  the 
sunshine.  Harbor  Jim's  boat  had  gone  thru  the 
narrow  entrance  and  disappeared  out  to  sea.  Both 
sides  of  the  bay  stood  out  sharp,  revealing  a  harbor 
that  from  many  viewpoints  is  as  beautiful  as  that 
of  Naples. 

Bob  carefully  laid  out  his  last  fish  and  left  it  to 
dry  on  the  flakes.  Rubbing  his  sleeve  across  his 
face,  he  abruptly  turned  and  said : 

"  I  needs  a  plug  of  terbaccy.  Walk  down  town 
and  I'll  tell  you  how  Jim  got  his  name." 

I  did  not  need  a  second  invitation  and  we  started 
toward  town. 

"  You  see  it  was  this-away.  His  mother  gave 
him  the  Jim,  but  his  friends  and  neighbors  give  him 
the  Harbor. 

"  Jim  was  always  one  to  take  chances,  'specially 
if  some  one  needed  him.  Didn't  he  take  a  chance — 
a  big  one — when  he  saved  me  on  the  ice-pan  ?  But 
somehow  he  always  pulled  thru.  Other  boats 
would  lie  outside  and  wait  but  Jim  would  pull  thru 
the  Narrows  and  tie  up  and  be  home  afore  the 
others.  The  others  dasn't  come  into  the  Harbor,  a 
fear  o'  the  rocks. 

"  Folks  come  to  say,  '  Jim  always  makes  the 
Harbor.'  Then  jes'  naturally  they  come  to  call 
him  Harbor  Jim.  It's  so  now  that  the  women 


JIM  AND  BOB  15 

folks  are  always  glad  if  their  men  can  go  with 
Jim,  for  they  feel  that  then  they'll  sure  come 
back.  Everybody  who  lives  yere  loves  Harbor 
Jim." 

"  I  would  like  to  meet  Harbor  Jim  and  have  a 
talk  with  him,"  I  said,  when  Bob  ceased  talking 
and  trudged  on  in  silence.  "  I  am  sure  he  has  a 
philosophy  worth  hearing  about  and  adopting." 

"  You  can  meet  him  all  right,"  replied  Bob,  "  but 
as  for  talkin'  much  with  him,  I  don't  know.  He 
isn't  very  strong  on  talkin'.  He  says  some  folks 
talk  so  much,  they  set  their  tongue  to  goin'  and  go 
off  and  leave  it  runnin'  and  it  does  a  heap  a  mis- 
chief. Another  time  he  sed  to  me  that  he  thought 
most  folks  would  do  more  if  they  talked  less. 

"  I  remember  a  year  ago  a  white-washed  Yankee 
was  here  travelling  for  some  soap  concern.  He 
heared  about  Harbor  Jim  and  wanted  me  to  take 
him  over  to  his  house  and  introduce  him  and  I  did. 
That  Yankee  started  right  in  doing  all  the  talkin'. 
He  had  a  tongue  that  was  balanced  and  would  wag 
easy.  He  told  Jim  he  was  making  a  mistake  in  not 
having  a  bigger  garden,  that  he  ought  to  farm 
more  and  fish  less.  He  told  him  what  the  Domin- 
ion needed  and  when  at  last  he  began  to  get  out  of 
breath  he  turned  to  Jim  and  said : 

"'  What  do  you  think?' 

"  And  Harbor  Jim  just  said  kind  of  slow  like 
and  deliberate : 


16  HARBOR  JIM 

"  *  Guess  you  have  said  it  all,  sir,  but  mebbe 
when  everybody  goes  to  farming  they  will  need  a 
little  fish  to  change  off  from  potatoes  and  cabbage, 
and  I  guess  I  better  bid  you  good  day  and  go  fish- 
ing.' That  was  every  word  Jim  said  and  that 
Yankee  watched  him  go  out  of  sight  and  what  that 
Yankee  said  then  want  a  credit  to  him  nor  favor- 
able to  the  Dominion." 

I  smiled  at  the  thought  of  the  discomforted  trav- 
elling man  and  wondered  if  my  own  luck  or  my 
own  tact  would  succeed  any  better,  for  I  was  al- 
ready convinced  that  Harbor  Jim  was  a  man  worth 
knowing. 

"  Suppose  we  go  and  meet  Mrs.  Harbor  Jim,"  I 
said  to  Bob  when  the  tobacco  had  been  purchased 
and  his  pipe  was  doing  right. 

"If  you  say  so,  but  meetin'  her  ain't  the  same  as 
meetin'  him.  She's  all  right,  but  she's  jes'  learning 
from  Jim,  she  says  so  herself,"  answered  Bob. 

Their  home  was  in  a  little  town  a  few  miles  out 
from  St.  John's  and  it  was  kind  of  Bob  to  go  out 
with  me.  After  a  walk  of  about  an  hour  we  stood 
looking  down  upon  a  little  fishing  village  with 
great,  brown-stained  rocks  protecting  it  a  little 
from  the  sea. 

"  This  is  his  town,"  said  Bob,  "  can  you  find  his 
house?" 

But  they  looked  alike  to  me;  for  all  were  small 
rectangular  affairs,  flat-roofed,  shingled  and  painted 


JIM  AND  BOB  17 

white.  Jim's  house  was  evidently  no  different  from 
his  neighbor's. 

"  I  guess  I'll  have  to  tell  you,"  Bob  chuckled,  as 
we  went  down  a  lane  and  saw  two  rather  dirty 
children  at  play  in  front  of  a  house  where  a  woman 
was  bending  over  a  tub  of  clothes. 

"  Hello,  Bob,  did  Jim  go  out  ? "  the  woman 
called,  as  soon  as  she  recognized  Bob. 

"  Yes,  he  went  out  a  couple  of  hours  ago.  Here's 
a  man  who  wants  to  meet  Mrs.  Harbor  Jim." 

She  wiped  her  hands  on  her  wet  apron,  pushed 
the  hair  back  from  the  baby's  face  as  she  passed 
her  and  beckoned  us  to  follow  her  into  the  house. 
Extending  her  hand  she  said : 

"  I  think,  sir,  you  want  to  see  my  husband,  but 
he's  a  fishin'  and  may  not  be  back  afore  tomorrow. 
Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  sir?  There's  some 
brewse,*  on  the  back  of  the  stove,  if  you  care  to 
eat.  I  am  wondering  what  you  can  be  awantin' 
this  time  of  a  working  morning?  Is  it  that  some 
one  has  fell  sick  and  wants  Jim  to  watch  or  pray?  " 

"  We  were  a  bit  tired  with  walking  and  thought 
we  would  like  to  rest  and  see  you  and  the  children 
in  passing,"  I  said  none  to  easily,  for  the  little 
woman  was  searching  us  hard  to  find  the  reason 
of  our  visit. 

Bob  came  to  our  rescue  by  starting  a  conversa- 
tion about  the  promise  of  prices  for  fish  and  what 


*A  Newfoundland  dish  of  hard  bread,  fish  and  pork. 


18  HARBOR  JIM 

Bill  Coaker  was  doing  for  the  Fishermen's  Pro- 
tective Union.  Relieved  by  the  shift  in  the  con- 
versation I  looked  about  the  room.  It  was  posi- 
tively no  different  from  other  fishermen's  homes 
that  I  had  visited;  no  better  furniture,  no  more  of 
it ;  the  house  was  no  cleaner ;  and  the  woman,  who 
was  Jim's  wife,  was  on  a  par  with  other  women  of 
the  neighborhood ;  only  she  seemed  a  little  brighter 
and  a  certain  light  was  in  her  eyes  when  she  spoke 
of  Jim.  There  was  just  one  object  that  attracted 
my  attention,  a  spruce  tree  in  one  corner,  and  I 
asked  the  purpose  of  it. 

She  replied :  "  Jim  keeps  a  tree  in  that  corner. 
He  says  it  keeps  him  remembering  how  beautiful 
the  world  is.  He  says  it  connects  us  with  out  o' 
doors  and  Jim  loves  the  open  country  just  as  he 
does  the  sea." 

Then  after  a  pause  she  added :  "  But  you  must 
come  again  when  Jim  is  home.  I  want  you  to 
know  him.  I  wish  every  one  could  know  Jim ;  he 
is  so  good,  so  true,  so  kind !  " 

That  was  all  I  could  find  out  about  Harbor  Jim 
that  day,  but  I  did  not  forget  that  tribute  to  her 
husband,  spoken  simply,  out  of  her  heart,  and  it 
made  me  feel  as  I  went  back  to  the  city  with  Bob, 
that  perhaps  I  had  under-estimated  her  ability  and 
worth.  It  was  more  than  a  week  afterward  that  in 
unexpected  fashion  and  without  introduction,  I  met 
Jim,  But  there  was  not  a  day  of  that  week  that  I 


JIM  AND  BOB  19 

did  not  think  of  the  little  woman  in  faded  blue,  her 
flaxen  hair  falling  over  her  face  in  confusion,  be- 
cause of  wind  and  work,  as  I  had  seen  her  that 
morning-  over  the  white-picketed  fence  of  Jim's 
house.  I  knew  that  I  should  not  leave  St.  John's 
until  I  had  seen  Harbor  Jim  and  his  wife  again. 


II 

THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM 

THE  pressure  of  my  own  work,  during  the 
following  days,  postponed  my  intended  visit 
to  Harbor  Jim's.  Then,  one  afternoon,  I 
started  for  a  walk,  not  to  Jim's,  but  to  Signal 
Tower  by  way  of  the  flakes.  The  path  I  chose, 
wound  around  among  the  little  fishermen's  summer 
homes  and  past  the  flakes  now  heavy  with  fish  cur- 
ing in  the  sun ;  then  across  the  little  valley,  near  the 
end  of  the  promontory,  up  back  of  the  hospital  to 
Cabot  Tower  and  down  around  the  reservoir  back 
to  the  city.  St.  John's  offers  many  attractive  walks. 
There  is  the  road  out  to  Quidi  Vidi,  past  the  little 
lake  where  the  regattas  are  held.  There  is  the  road 
to  Bo  wring  Park  that  gives  one  the  quiet  of  woods 
there,  with  many  flowers  and  a  little,  singing  brook ; 
but  for  one  who  loves  the  sea  and  the  fishers,  the 
walk  that  goes  along  the  flakes  must  ever  be  the 
favorite. 

The  afternoon  of  my  walk  was  clear  and  the 
deep,  blue  water  of  the  harbor  was  in  sight  most 
of  the  way.  I  had  reached  Cabot  Tower  and  had 
been  looking  across  the  unhindered  sea  toward  Ire- 
land, the  nearest  land  beyond,  and  was  turning  to 
go  down  toward  the  city,  that  lay  comfortably  upon 

20 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM  21 

the  hills  in  the  mellow,  warm  light  of  late  after- 
noon, when  I  noticed  a  rather  tall,  bronzed  fisher- 
man, standing  close  by,  evidently  sharing  the  view 
with  me. 

I  turned  and  looked  squarely  at  him  and  thought, 
"  John  Cabot  himself  might  have  been  such  a  one 
as  you  are." 

I  nodded  and  the  fellow  returned  it  and  said, 
removing  his  hat  as  he  spoke : 

"  Don't  you  think  we  had  better  uncover  before 
such  a  view  as  that  ?  " 

I  did  as  he  suggested  and  drawn  to  the  fellow  by 
his  winsome  smile  I  decided  to  go  back  to  the  city 
with  him;  but  there  was  a  certain  reserve  in  his 
manner,  that  did  not  make  it  quite  easy  to  go  with 
him  unbidden.  I  hesitated  and  then  asked : 

"  Have  you  any  objection  to  my  walking  back  to 
the  city  with  you  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  he  replied,  "  provided  you  do 
not  spoil  the  last  of  the  day  with  too  many  words. 
You  see,  sir,  I  need  some  time  to  let  that  scene  sink 
into  my  soul." 

For  a  New  Yorker  who  had  been  interviewing 
Dominion  leaders  and  talking  politics  in  the  inter- 
ests of  a  newspaper,  the  command  to  keep  silent 
was  at  least  a  surprise,  but  no  doubt  altogether 
wholesome. 

We  started  toward  the  city.  The  hill  drops 
rather  rapidly,  you  may  remember,  and  then  winds 


22  HARBOR  JIM 

more  leisurely.  Forbidden  to  spoil  the  afternoon 
with  words,  I  could  at  least  watch  my  unknown 
companion  who  chose  to  practice  the  vow  of  silence 
like  a  Trappist  monk. 

He  was  a  fisherman.  His  clothes  told  me  that, 
but  there  was  to  his  walk  an  elasticity,  a  certain 
springiness  that  the  fishermen  I  knew  had  lacked. 
He  carried  his  head  higher,  his  back  was  straighten 
He  walked  as  the  son  of  a  King  might  have  walked, 
who  had  decided  for  the  time  to  travel  incognito 
and  had  chosen  the  garb  of  a  fisherman. 

Now  and  then  I  would  get  a  little  ahead  of  him 
for  the  chance  of  looking  back  and  up  into  his  face. 
The  very  smile  with  which  he  had  closed  my  mouth 
lingered  and  lit  his  face,  just  as  light  sometimes 
lingers  on  clouds  at  sunset.  I  fell  to  wondering 
how  long  it  would  last,  just  as  sometimes  I  had 
estimated  the  length  of  sunsets. 

We  came  to  a  house  and  a  little  girl,  seeing  him, 
came  running  down  and,  without  a  word,  slipped 
her  hand  into  the  man's  and  walked  on  some  three 
rods  and  then  left  him  and  went  back  into  the  house 
from  which  she  had  come.  She  also  smiled  and 
seemed  glad  to  walk  and  be  silent. 

The  houses  increased  in  number  as  we  came 
down  the  hill.  Two  boys  came  and,  grabbing  each 
a  hand  of  my  companion,  walked  a  little  way  with 
him.  This  time  he  bestowed  upon  the  boys,  not 
words  but  a  marble  a  piece.  The  boys  utterly  ig- 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM  23 

nored  me,  kept  their  eyes  rivetted  upon  him  and 
left,  giving  him  a  hearty  "  Thank  you !  " 

When  we  came  to  the  last  dip  of  the  hill  that 
descends  into  the  city,  he  paused  and,  keeping  his 
eyes  on  the  western  sky,  said : 

"  Hard  on  you,  sir !  I  didn't  intend  to  be  rude, 
but  since  I  was  converted  I  have  to  have  more  time 
to  myself.  Seems  only  fair  that  a  fellow  should 
have  a  little  time  now  and  then  to  enjoy  his  own 
company.  Here's  a  good  place  to  watch  the  Lord 
as  He  blesses  the  city  at  the  close  of  the  day." 

He  waved  me  to  a  seat  beside  him  and  we  sat 
watching.  The  silence  was  not  as  oppressive.  I 
was  a  little  nearer  to  my  companion  and  the  great 
gray  clouds  suffused  with  pink  rivetted  my  atten- 
tion. As  the  sunset  waned  and  the  cold,  gray  of 
night  came  on,  he  got  up  and,  starting  toward  the 
city,  said : 

"  Thank  you  for  praying  with  me." 

Now  I  had  not  been  aware  of  having  said  any- 
thing at  all,  but  I  remembered  that  prayer  may  be 
uttered  or  unexpressed  and  ventured  no  reply. 

"  Words  often  weigh  down  as  well  as  lift.  A  lot 
of  folks  are  smothered  with  them."  He  was  break- 
ing the  silence  which  he  had  stipulated  should  be 
maintained  until  the  view  had  sunk  into  his  soul. 
"  Words  have  to  be  well  chosen,  then  they  lift  their 
pound.  I'm  not  averse  to  talking  on  occasion ;  only, 
I  find,  when  I'm  talking  too  much,  I'm  thinking  too 


24  HARBOR  JIM 

little.  Then,  again,  God  wants  to  have  His  say  now 
and  then,  and  how  can  He,  if  we  are  sputtering  all 
the  while  ?  Guess  He  talks  still  to  some  folks  in  the 
cool  of  the  evening  just  as  He  did  in  the  old 
garden." 

Released  from  the  command  to  be  silent  and  no 
longer  with  the  opportunity  of  seeing  my  com- 
panion clearly,  for  it  was  fast  growing  dark,  I  felt 
that  I  would  very  much  like  to  know  something 
more  of  this  strange,  yet  likable,  fellow,  and  the 
words  that  he  had  spoken  about  his  conversion 
prompted  me  in  turn  to  break  the  silence. 

"  I  think  I  have  received  more  out  of  this  walk 
and  this  sunset  than  any  I  can  remember,  but  my 
conversion  was  evidently  not  the  same  as  yours.  I 
would  like  to  know  about  your  conversion.  Maybe 
it  would  open  my  eyes  wider  and  let  me  see  more 
as  you  do." 

I  spoke  now,  not  curiously,  but  earnestly,  for  I 
wanted  to  know  how  he  could  find  so  much  on  the 
old  familiar  hill  and  how  I  might  find  what  he  was 
finding. 

He  laughed  heartily  and  his  laugh  left  the  situ- 
ation less  tense  and  made  him  seem  more  human. 

"  Maybe  my  conversion  won't  interest  you,"  he 
said,  "  then  again,  it  may  help  you.  It  was  on  this 
very  road,  I  was  converted.  Only  it  was  in  the 
morning  at  half  past  nine.  It  was  a  foggy  morn- 
ing. Newfoundland  has  a  good  many  of  them.  I 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM  25 

used  to  think,  too  many,  before  I  was  converted, 
but  now  it  seems  to  me  best,  for  it  just  curtains 
the  beautiful  world  and  each  time  the  curtain  lifts 
it  seems  a  little  fairer  than  before  for  the  waiting. 

"  Now  I've  always  loved  the  hills  and  the  sea  and 
enjoyed  a  good  view,  as  most  fishermen  do,  but  that 
morning  I  was  scuffing  along,  out  of  patience  with 
a  poor  catch  of  the  day  before  and  seeing  nothing 
but  fog.  The  sea  and  the  hills  were  out  of  sight. 
Suddenly  I  heard  a  voice  say : 

"  '  Why  don't  you  look  at  yourself,  Jim  ?  ' 

"  I  stopped  stock  still  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
like  a  hand  had  been  put  upon  me  and  detained  me. 
The  voice  was  no  more  but  the  question  was  for  me 
and  it  had  to  be  answered. 

"  It  would  take  some  time,  so  I  decided  to  sit 
down  and  consider  it.  I  could  show  you  the  very 
rock,  sometime,  if  you  cared  to  see  it.  I  had  never 
done  much  thinking  'till  that  morning.  I  said  to 
myself : 

"  '  James,  you  don't  know  yourself  well  enough 
to  call  yourself  by  your  first  name.  You  have 
peeped  into  your  neighbors'  affairs.  You've  criti- 
cised other  folks  but  you've  never  really  gotten  ac- 
quainted with  yourself.' 

"  So  I  stood  myself  up  and  asked  myself  ques- 
tions in  a  real,  down-right,  honest  desire  to  see  just 
what  I  was  and  what  I  was  doing  here.  First  I 
says: 


26  HARBOR  JIM 

"'Who  are  you,  Jim?' 

"  And  I  figured  out  that  I  had  the  right  answer, 
though  I  had  forgotten  it  and  lived  in  contradiction 
of  it.  I  was  and  I  am  a  child  of  the  Father. 

"Do  you  know,  sir,  the  knowledge  of  that  will 
ask  a  man  a  good  many  more  questions  and  answer 
'em,  too. 

"  *  Where  are  you  living,  Jim?  '  I  said  to  myself 
and  the  answer  came,  '  You  are  living  in  His  world 
and  it's  a  good  world.  He  made  it  for  you  and  His 
other  children.  He's  put  fish  in  all  the  seas  and  if 
it  ain't  one  kind  it's  another.  There  is  enough  in 
His  world  for  all  the  children,  and  if  any  on'em 
starves,  it's  because  some  on'em  is  blind  or  the 
other  children  has  forgotten  they  are  to  share  His 
things.  It's  a  fair  world,  with  blue  sky  and  little 
birds  that  sing,  and  little  flowers  that  praise  Him, 
too/ 

"  It's  a  cheery  thought,  sir,  that  we're  a  livin'  in 
His  world.  It  makes  it  worth  while  to  live  right. 
Then  the  next  question  I  put  myself  was  this : 

"  '  What  are  you  worth  ?  ' 

"  I  reckoned  up  and  found  I  was  worth  five 
quintals  of  salt  fish,  a  half  a  barrel  of  cod  liver  oil 
and  twelve  lobster  pots,  most  of  'em  empty.  I 
owned  no  house  and  aside  from  the  fish  I  had  $149 
in  the  bank  and  an  extra  suit  of  clothes  that 
wouldn't  count  for  much. 

" '  Is  that  all  you're  worth,'  I  said,  and  I  saw  it 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM  27 

wasn't  enough  to  count  me  rich.  I  remembered.  I 
could  really  think  that  morning,  that  Job's  riches 
were  not  in  camels  and  sheep.  So  I  might  be  rich 
in  other  things  beside  codfish  and  oil,  but  I  grew 
ashamed  of  myself  that  morning  when  I  come  to 
see  how  little  I  could  count  up  that  was  worth  car- 
rying with  me  for  eternity. 

"  Bob  McCartney's  friendship,  the  part  I'd  given, 
counted  a  little ;  but  when  it  come  to  counting  faith 
and  hope  and  truth,  it  didn't  show  up  very  well.  I 
was  poor  and  I  had  come  to  know  it  and  that  was 
the  best  part  of  it.  There  was  hope  then  for  me 
and  a  chance  I  might  become  rich. 

"  *  Where  are  you  going?  '  again  the  Voice  asked 
me  a  big  question.  I  meet  folks  who  have  forgot- 
ten, just  as  I  had  done.  But  it  helps  to  keep  a 
fellow  on  the  right  track  to  remember  where  the 
road  ends. 

" '  What  are  you  doing  here  ? '  was  the  next 
question  and  I  put  myself  to  answer  it  there  on  the 
rock  that  morning  I  was  converted. 

"  Fishing,  I  answered  first,  but  what  for,  and  is 
that  all,  came  the  questions.  Now  I  take  it  fishing 
or  farming,  writing  or  preaching,  it  don't  make 
much  difference,  so  long  as  we're  each  just  where 
He  wants  us  to  be  and  are  doing  just  what  He 
wants  us  to  do.  And  every  man  has  got  to  find  out 
if  he  is  where  the  Father  wants  him  to  be. 

"  It  didn't  take  me  long  to  find  out  that  I  might 


28  HARBOR  JIM 

be  where  He  wanted  me  to  be,  but  I  knew  I 
wasn't  doing  all  He  wanted  me  to  do  and  I  was 
adoin'  a  good  many  things  He  didn't  want  me 
to  do. 

"  Then  I  made  some  resolutions.  Some  folks 
don't  believe  in  'em,  I  know,  but  they  always 
seemed  to  me  to  be  good  crutches,  till  a  man  could 
manage  to  get  on  without  them  and  learn  to  walk 
straight.  I  resolved  to  be  the  best  fisherman  ever 
put  out  to  sea,  to  clean  my  fish  thorough,  to  salt  'em 
well  and  sell  'em  honest  weight. 

"  Then  I  resolved  to  know  more  of  His  world 
since  He  made  it  for  me  and  the  other  children. 
Then,  I  remembered  that  since  He  had  sent  His 
Son  to  show  the  way,  I'd  better  listen  to  Him  and 
go  His  way. 

"The  next  day  I  went  over  to  Parson  Curtis' 
and  said  to  him : 

" '  Yesterday  was  my  day  o'  grace,  and  I  was 
converted  at  half  past  nine.  I'm  not  saved,  but  I'm 
on  the  way  to  salvation  and  I'd  like  to  be  broughten 
just  as  near  to  His  Son  as  I  can  be.  I'm  just  a 
learnin',  but  no  child  ever  wanted  to  learn  more 
than  I  do  now/ 

"  So  when  it  come  Sunday,  he  took  me  into  the 
fellowship  of  Jesus  and  I've  been  learnin'  ever 
since." 

I  think  I  have  given  you  almost  his  words.  You 
see  they  were  short,  real  words,  and  the  only  fear  I 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  JIM  29 

have  is  that  in  repeating  them  I  may  have  lost  the 
quiet,  deep-seated  earnestness  that  was  in  his  voice. 
He  spoke  that  night  from  his  heart.  We  were  on 
Water  Street  now  and  it  was  time  for  us  to  part. 

"  Thank  you,"  I  said,  and  I  spoke  as  sincerely  as 
he  had  spoken,  "  and  if  you  don't  mind  I  would  like 
to  know  your  name.  It  is  James,  what  ?  " 

He  reached  out  a  big  hand  and  took  a  firm  grip 
of  mine  and  said :  "  I'm  Jim.  Harbor  Jim  they 
call  me."  And  then  I  remembered  that  I  had  been 
looking  for  him. 


Ill 

AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED 

*  /^  OME,"  came  a  voice  from  within  and  I 

fj   opened  the  door  and  stepped  into  Harbor 

Jim's  cozy  home.     Its  warmth  and  cheer 

were  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  evening  without.     It 

was  raining  hard  and  everything  was  saturated 

with  water.     Out  of  the  chill  and  wet,  I  stepped 

across  the  threshold  into  warmth  and  dryness. 

I  thought  at  once  of  the  Cotter's  Saturday  night. 
In  the  centre  of  the  room  at  a  little  table,  close  to  a 
kerosene  lamp,  was  Harbor  Jim  reading  from  the 
Bible,  and  sharing  the  rather  uncertain  light  with 
him  was  his  wife  with  a  pile  of  stockings  to  be 
mended,  in  her  lap.  Beyond  them,  a  small  fire- 
place with  rough  stone  dogs.  A  spruce  fire  crackled 
like  pop  corn  and  did  its  best  to  dissipate  anything 
of  disconsolateness  that  might  have  crept  in  from 
the  night's  cold  rain.  At  the  right  of  the  fire-place, 
on  a  roll  of  comforters,  lay  a  little  girl  of  perhaps 
two  years,  breathing  gently  in  her  sleep. 

Harbor  Jim  did  not  rise  to  greet  me  but  with  a 
motion  of  his  hand  expressed  his  desire  that  I 
should  remove  my  wet  coat  and  take  the  empty 
chair.  He  paused  long  enough  for  me  to  be  com- 

30 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED         31 

fortably  seated  and  resumed  his  reading.  He  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  Ninety-First  Psalm,  and  he  read 
slowly  on,  as  one  none  too  familiar  with  print  and 
anxious  that  no  word  or  meaning  be  lost. 

"  He  shall  cover  thee  with  His  wings,  and  under 
His  feathers  shalt  thou  trust.  You  understand  it, 
Effie,"  he  said,  turning  to  his  wife.  "  It's  the 
picture  you  see  every  day  when  the  mother  hen 
tucks  the  little  ones  under  her  wings. 

"  You,  sir,  will  remember,"  he  turned  now  to  me, 
"  that  our  Master  used  the  same  thought  of  the 
cuddling  power  of  love,  when  He  stood  on  Olivet 
and  looked  down  on  the  sin-blind  Jerusalem.  I 
would  have  gathered  you  as  a  hen  doth  her  chicks 
under  her  wing. 

"  His  truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and  buckler.  This 
sentence  puzzled  me  for  a  good  while,  chiefly  be- 
cause I  didn't  know  what  a  buckler  was.  For  a 
long  time  I  couldn't  find  any  Lander  who  did  know. 
Finally  I  got  an  Englishman  to  look  it  up  in  a  book 
he  had  and  he  told  me  it  was  something  that  went 
all  around  the  body.  Then  I  seed  it  plain.  The 
Lord  was  to  protect  us  at  the  one  danger  point,  with 
the  shield;  but  He  doesn't  stop  there,  He  protects 
us  at  all  points  with  the  buckler." 

He  did  not  pause  again  in  the  reading  of  the 
Psalm  until  he  came  to  the  word  angels,  and  then 
he  spoke  rather  forcibly  of  his  belief  in  angels. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  in  angels,  travelling  angels.  Why 


32  HARBOR  JIM 

shouldn't  He  let  'em  travel  ?  He  let's  us  go  about, 
then  surely  He  must  let  them  journey  considerable 
more.  Naturally  they  want  to  be  where  they  are 
needed  most  and  I  reckon  this  world  needs  'em. 
When  we  get  the  listenin'  habit,  we'll  all  hear  'em, 
and  when  we  get  to  the  trustin'  habit,  we'll  obey 
'em  when  they  bring  us  messages.  I  reckon  they've 
helped  me  a  good  deal.  Sometimes  they  guide  me 
to  a  big  haul  of  fish,  but  more  often  they  bring  me 
to  a  passage  of  Scripture,  that's  like  a  draft  of  cool 
water  on  a  thirsty  day.  I  don't  want  you  to  think 
I'm  looney,  sir,  but  I  fancy  they  walk  with  me 
sometimes  and  most  often  when  no  humans  are 
with  me." 

At  the  last  verse  he  paused  and  then  read  these 
words  twice : 

"  With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  thee.  This  prom- 
ise has  troubled  me  a  good  deal.  It  don't  seem  to 
be  coming  true.  Good  little  kids  die;  and  tough, 
scaly  old  rascals  live  on  poking  fun  at  the  right- 
eous. I  have  been  wondering  what  the  Hebrews 
meant,  for  a  good  many  of  their  prophets  have  said 
the  same  thing. 

"  Mebbe  it's  one  of  the  delayed  promises.  But  I 
imagine  it  is  coming  true  oftener  than  we  know. 
There  is  some  connection  between  holiness  and 
happiness  and  between  contented  days  and  length- 
ened days.  It  is  natural  to  expect  the  man  who 
obeys  the  law  to  find  the  benefit  here  and  now  in 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED         33 

this  life.  Well,  if  the  Lord  had  each  one  of  us 
alone  working  out  the  promises,  it  would  be  very 
easy  for  Him  and  for  us,  but  He's  seen  fit  to  let  us 
live  together  and  we  interfere  with  one  another 
considerable;  but  He  thinks  it  best  because  we've 
got  to  get  well  acquainted  with  each  other  be- 
fore we  are  really  able  to  know  Him.  As  we 
get  so  we  can  understand  the  laws  for  the  many 
as  well  as  the  laws  for  the  each,  I  guess  we'll 
most  of  us  live  long,  but  now  the  main  thing  is  to 
live  well." 

"But  does  it  seem  quite  fair,  Jim?"  his  wife 
questioned  him,  naturally,  as  though  they  were 
alone  together. 

"  I've  thought  about  that  a  good  while,  Effie," 
he  replied.  "  If  I  had  only  one  day  to  fish  and  only 
caught  something  on  one  hook  in  twenty-eight,  it 
would  be  a  sorry  day  for  me  and  you  'uns;  but 
since  I've  many  days,  it  doesn't  matter  which  day 
I  get  the  fish,  so  long  as  I  get  'em.  Now,  I  take  it, 
it  doesn't  make  much  difference  whether  the  bounty 
and  the  blessing  He's  intended  for  each  of  us  comes 
one  day  or  another,  so  long  as  it  never  fails  to  come. 
If  this  earth  day  was  all  I  couldn't  believe  in  Him 
as  I  do,  but  when  I  remember  that  there  are  days 
that  have  no  ending,  why  it  seems  all  right  to  have 
some  getting  a  little  more  this  day  and  others  a  lit- 
tle more  that  day.  It's  all  in  the  life  time  of  the 
soul.  How  long  we  stay  in  this  room  of  Hisn'  and 


84  HARBOR  JIM 

how  much  He  gives  us  don't  matter  much  in  the 
long  years  o'  eternity.  Do  you  begin  to  see  how  it 
is,  Eme?" 

Then  Jim  closed  his  Bible  and  was  silent.  With- 
out the  rain  came  down  and  beat  its  loud  tattoo 
upon  the  roof.  The  spruce  log  ceased  to  crackle 
and  the  little  kerosene  light  seemed  to  relax  its  ef- 
fort now  that  it  was  no  longer  necessary  to  read 
the  print.  I  had  learned  in  the  few  weeks  that  I 
had  known  Jim,  that  silence  even  more  than  speech 
hath  her  rewards.  After  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of 
quiet,  in  which  we  could  hear  in  the  occasional  let 
up  of  the  rain  the  tick-tock  of  the  little  clock  on 
the  shelf,  I  ventured  a  question : 

"  How  long  have  you  been  married,  Jim?  " 

"  Fourteen  years,"  he  answered,  "  and  it  was  no 
mistake  that  we  made  when  we  built  this  home. 
There's  been  rain,  but  the  sun  came  out  the  quicker 
because  of  the  together-spirit  we  had.  Would  you 
be  interested,  sir,  in  hearing  how  we  started  out  ?  " 

My  face  answered  him  and  he  began  to  tell  me 
such  parts  of  his  own  love  story  as  it  pleased  him 
to  tell. 

"  I  was  not  married  until  after  I  was  converted, 
that  was  a  good  thing !  There  is  a  good  many  rea- 
sons why  a  man  should  be  converted  before  he  is 
married.  If  there  is  anything  in  this  life,  more'n 
another  in  which  the  hand  of  God  should  be  felt 
it's  marriage. 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED         35 

"  I'd  had  friends  among  the  girls  before  I  was 
converted,  but  I'd  never  thought  of  settling  down, 
until  after  that  morning.  Then  I  come  to  see  that 
a  man  needed  a  home  on  shore  as  well  as  a  boat  on 
the  sea;  that  a  man  would  be  likely  to  catch  more 
fish  if  he  had  some  one  waiting  on  shore  and  that 
fish  never  tasted  so  well  when  eaten  alone. 

"  I  got  to  teadin'  the  book  of  Genesis  one  night. 
I  never  read  the  Bible  much  till  after  I  was  con- 
verted, and  then  it  became  a  new  book  to  me  and  I 
began  diggin'  in  it  for  treasure  and  I'm  by  no  man- 
ner a  means  thru  diggin'  and  findin'  treasure.  I 
come  across  the  command  in  Genesis :  To  be  fruit- 
ful and  multiply  and  replenish  the  earth.  I  halted 
there  that  night  for  a  spell  o'  thinkin'  and  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  ought  to  do  my  part  and 
leave  some  one  else  to  take  my  place  and  fish  when 
I  lay  down  the  hooks.  The  next  thing  was  to  find 
the  right  one.  Now  a  Bible  readin'  man  is  a  prayin' 
man.  And  I  shut  the  book  and  I  prayed,  for  if 
there  is  anywhere  a  man  needs  guidance  it  is  in 
finding  the  right  one  and  keepin'  offen  the  rocks  o' 
trouble  and  despair  in  such  matters. 

The  next  morning  I  went  fishing  the  same  as 
usual.  I've  noted  that  the  Lord  never  hurries  an 
answer  to  a  man  who  prays  and  then  stands  round 
idle  waitin'  for  his  answer.  Seems  the  Lord  loves 
to  surprise  a  man  with  his  answer  while  he's  in  the 
midst  of  work. 


36  HARBOR  JIM 

"  So  the  weeks  went  by  till  one  late  afternoon  I 
was  walking  along  the  flakes  and  I  see  a  young 
woman  splitting  cod  in  the  front  yard  of  a  house, 
and  the  western  light  rested  on  her  hair  and  it 
shimmered  and  she  looked  up  as  I  come  by  and  we 
both  smiled.  Sir,  then,  I  knew,  just  as  plain  as  a 
straight,  taut  line  that  she  was  the  one  and  I  had 
my  answer  from  the  Lord,  but  I  had  still  to  get  her 
answer.  Some  times  you  have  to  wait  for  a 
woman's  answer  same  as  you  do  for  the  Lord's. 

"  The  next  afternoon,  about  the  same  time,  I 
come  by  her  house,  and  just  as  I  expected  she  was 
there  splitting  cod,  and  that  afternoon  we  talked. 
I'd  inquired  and  found  her  name  was  Effie  Streeter. 
Now  what  I  said  and  the  walks  we  had  together 
wouldn't  interest  you,  and  anyhow  they  belonged 
to  us.  But  perhaps  you  might  like  to  hear  a  little 
of  our  engagement  day.  It  come  out  just  as  I 
planned  only  a  little  better. 

"  I  was  pretty  sure  then  and  it  has  been  con- 
firmed to  me  many  times  since  that  a  woman  likes 
to  have  her  joys  come  as  surprises.  Now  if  I'd  a 
proposed  to  her  on  the  ordinary  walk  on  an  ordi- 
nary evening,  she  might  have  accepted  but  it 
wouldn't  have  come  with  the  happiness  that  comes 
when  you're  not  expecting,  then  it's  like  light  out 
of  dark  cloud  or  flowers  that  come  quick  after  a 
long  winter's  snow. 

"  One  night  I  stopped  in  at  her  house  and  told 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED         37 

her  I  had  to  go  on  business  over  beyond  Brigus 
and  would  like  to  have  her  go  with  me  on  the  train 
the  next  morning.  It  would  be  a  short  trip  and  we 
would  be  back  at  night,  on  the  train. 

"  A  fellow  doesn't  have  much  choice  of  trains 
here,  but  some  seasons  you  can  go  somewhere  and 
get  back  the  same  day,  but  not  every  season. 

"  It  was  the  middle  of  July,  but  as  I  started  for 
the  station,  thinks  I,  it  might  be  colder  up  at  Brigus 
and  I  took  along  my  great  coat,  so  she  would  be 
sure  to  be  warm.  We  made  the  ride  up,  without 
event.  It  is  a  lovely  ride  to  Brigus,  as  you  know, 
sir. 

"  I  don't  remember  much  that  we  said  on  the 
way,  do  you,  Effie  ?  "  and  he  turned  to  her  acqui- 
escing smile.  "  But  I  had  the  place  all  selected  and 
I  never  expect  to  forget  that  day,  either  here  or  in 
Kingdom  Come. 

"  Under  the  shadow  of  a  spruce  we  sat  down 
and  before  us  were  acres  and  acres  of  sheep  laurel. 
The  winter  before  had  been  cold  and  that  summer 
the  laurel  was  redder  than  ever  I  have  seen  it, 
before  or  since.  Away  beyond  was  Conception 
Bay  with  its  hills  and  the  wonderful  blue  water. 
I  don't  know,  sir,  what  scenes  there  are  over  seas, 
but  I  doubt  if  there's  a  lovelier  view  anywhere  in 
the  world  than  that. 

"  I  had  rehearsed  pretty  well  what  I  was  going 
to  say  and  I  have  never  forgotten  it  to  this  day, 


38  HARBOR  JIM 

and  I  am  glad  I  haven't.  Some  forget  what  they 
say  before  marriage  and  it  brings  a  black  shadow 
after  marriage. 

"  It  was  so  very  beautiful,  that  we  set  a  spell,  a 
holdin'  hands  and  lookin'  with  our  souls  as  well  as 
our  eyes. 

"  *  Effie/  I  said,  '  I've  brought  you  here  to  say 
a  great  word  and  I  felt  it  ought  to  be  said  in  the 
fairest  place  in  the  world.  This  is  the  loveliest 
place  I  know  and  if  I  knew  a  fairer  one  I'd  have 
taken  you  there.  The  word  I  am  going  to  say  is 
the  one  God  said  when  it  was  dark  and  He  decided 
to  make  it  light.  It's  the  word  He  said  when  the 
world  was  tired  and  He  decided  to  send  His  Son 
and  it's  the  one  word  the  Son  spoke  that  has  been 
changing  the  world  since.  That  word  is,  Love ! ' 
Then  I  felt  my  own  unworthiness  and  I  stammered 
and  I  lost  something  out  o'  my  speech  and  I've 
never  found  it,  but  I  added, — '  I'm  only  a  fisher- 
man but  what  I  want  to  give  you  is  as  much  as  I 
can  of  the  very  same  love.' 

"  Sir,  that  was  all  I  had  to  say  and  she  under- 
stood. Right  after  that  a  strange  thing  happened. 
It  had  been  clouding  up  and  it  began  to  snow.  Yes, 
we  have  once  in  a  while  a  snow  storm  in  summer, 
and  we  did  that  year.  Then  I  took  the  great  coat 
I  had  brought  and  wrapped  her  tenderly  up  in  it 
and  I  said:  Love  has  a  good  many  duties,  but  I 
guess  one  on'em  is  to  keep  you  warm. 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  AS  PLANNED         39 

"  The  snow  came  down  and  it  covered  the  earth, 
but  it  didn't  cover  the  blossoms  and  there  was  a 
world  of  white  with  pink  beauty  scattered  on  it,  all 
the  spruce  and  firs  standing  and  looking  and  wor- 
shipping, if  trees  worship.  And  I  said:  I  guess  it's 
the  Lord's  way  of  saying,  He's  glad  it's  all  settled, 
Now,  if  He  had  sent  the  rain  we  might  a  doubted, 
but  He's  sent  the  snow  so's  we  wouldn't  doubt  and 
we  never  have. 

"  Now  our  trains  sometimes  take  an  uncommon 
long  time,  and  you  folks  from  the  States  laugh  at 
our  railroads,  but  do  you  know  I  never  went  a 
journey  where  the  train  made  such  a  fast  time  as 
that  night.  We  were  in  St.  John's  afore  we 
knew  it." 


IV 
SOME  MIRACLES 

c "XT"  OU  orter  been  here  a  short  while  ago," 

Jim  chuckled,  as  he  addressed  his  friend 

Bob  McCartney,  who  entered  soon  after 

Mr.  Jewett  had  left.     "  We  had  a  queer  one  here 

who  believed  you  and  I  and  the  rest  o'  the  sinners 

were  out  o'  sight  of  the  Lord.     Told  us  the  Lord 

didn't  know  nothing  except  the  good  and  this  world 

was  just  shadows  and  delusions." 

"Well,"  said  Bob,  "there's  a  few  real  things 
left  and  last  night  Harry  Marchant  got  up  agin  one 
of  'em.  Towards  night  I  met  him  on  the  Bowring 
Road.  He  motioned  to  me  afore  I  got  to  him  to 
keep  my  side  o'  the  road.  He  acted  just  as  though 
he  had  leprosy.  When  he  got  within  hearing  he 
shouted : 

"  '  Bob,  you  never  did  me  a  bad  turn  and  I'm  not 
agoin'  to  do  you  one.  You  keep  your  side  of  the 
road  and  don't  ever  speak  to  me  when  I  go  by.  I 
was  comin'  along  a  spell  back  and  I  met  some 
skunks,  not  one,  but  a  mother  and  father  and  two 
children.  They  was  walkin'  separate  and  I  tried  to 
dodge,  but  I  couldn't  dodge  four  ways  at  the  same 
time.  I'm  goin'  home  now  to  bury  my  clothes, 
scour  my  skin  and  try  to  forget  myself.'  Now, 

40 


Harry  Marchant  didn't  meet  no  shadow  and  he  was 
bathed  in  the  very  oil  o'  gloom." 

We  all  laughed,  but  Jim  was  the  first  to  sober  up. 
"  See  here,  boys,  we  mustn't  poke  fun  at  the  queer 
one.  Some  folks  probably  get  a  blessing  without 
thinking  straight.  Mebbe  he's  on  the  way  to  a 
great  faith.  There's  more'n  one  way  across  the 
sea  and  we  all  got  to  go  thru  the  same  narrows  to 
get  into  the  Harbor. 

"  There's  this  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the 
fellow,  he's  beginning  to  read  his  Bible.  Seems 
strange  though  that  outen  the  same  book  men  draw 
so  many  different  things.  Then,  it  was  written  by 
many  a  different  one  and  it's  intended  for  all.  Per- 
haps when  we  get  too  far  astray  He'll  send  us  an- 
other Son  and  a  new  Book. 

"  Though  I  don't  believe  in  his  notion  of  getting 
rid  of  a  real  world  with  real  things  in  it,  an'  pushin' 
God  out  of  this  world,  I  do  believe  in  miracles. 
Now  some  folks  come  to  a  miracle  in  the  Bible  and 
they  sit  down  in  front  of  it  like  the  Marys  at  the 
tomb  and  they  never  are  able  to  roll  it  away  or  pass 
it  Just  beyond  that  miracle  is  a  great  truth,  there 
always  is,  and  these  folks  never  get  beyond  wonder- 
ing and  doubting  about  how  it  happened  to  be 
there. 

'*  Take  the  story  of  the  miracle  that  happened  to 
Jonah.  I  don't  pretend  to  say  whether  he  ever  had 
a  berth  in  a  real  whale  or  not.  It  may  be  the  boat 


42  HARBOR  JIM 

was  called  a  whale  and  he  took  passage  on  her 
against  orders.  But  either  way  it's  a  beautiful 
truth  we  find,  after  we  get  over  worrying  about  the 
whale.  The  point,  I  take  it,  is,  the  man  was  trying 
to  run  away  from  his  duty  and  the  story  tells  how 
he  fared  and  how  he  came  back  and  was  established 
as  a  prophet.  A  good  many  folks  seem  to  be  still 
worrying  about  the  whale  and  forgetting  all  about 
the  truth.  I'm  not  sayin'  it  didn't  happen.  It  could 
a  happened  and  stranger  things  have  happened,  I 
am  only  saying  that  whatever  you  believe  about  the 
whale  the  truth  is  there  to  help  just  the  same. 

"  I  don't  like  the  way  a  good  many  folks  talk 
about  miracles,  anyhow.  They  look  at  'em  once  or 
twice  and  then  they  say  that  it  couldn't  a  happened. 
Why  it  doesn't  follow  because  the  Lord  couldn't 
work  a  miracle  on  them  He  couldn't  on  somebody 
else.  It  may  only  prove  they  was  too  hardened  in 
their  sins  and  their  doubts  to  be  worked  on,  at  least, 
for  the  present.  Then  it  may  be  the  thing  has 
happened,  right  before  their  eyes  only  when  it 
comes  to  great  things  and  spiritual  facts  they  are 
more'n  half  blind. 

"  Raisin'  from  the  dead  I  suppose  would  be  con- 
sidered the  biggest  miracle  of  all,  and  perhaps  it's 
about  the  hardest  to  believe.  But  at  some  time  or 
other,  I  have  never  been  able  to  tell  when,  and  I 
don't  knows  any  one  else  can  either,  the  Lord  God 
puts  a  soul  into  every  child  of  His.  It  is  something 


SOME  MIRACLES  43 

that  a  father  or  a  mother  cannot  put  in  of  them- 
selves, and  it  is  something  that  can't  be  destroyed. 
A  good  many  have  tried  to  destroy  their  souls; 
but  it's  my  belief  they  haven't  succeeded,  not  any 
one  of  all  that  have  tried.  Now,  if  He  is  the  only 
one  that  can  put  a  soul  into  this  earth  house,  He's 
the  one  that  knows  best  when  to  take  it  out,  and  it 
might  be  very  easy,  on  an  important  occasion,  for 
Him  to  slip  the  soul  back  in  again  for  a  few  days. 
He  did  that  in  the  case  of  His  Divine  Son  and  the 
Son  did  it  on  several  occasions,  when  He  thought 
the  soul  ought  to  keep  in  its  earth  house  a  while 
longer." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  anything  about  reincarna- 
tion, Jim  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Big  word,  isn't  it,"  said  Jim,  immediately  giv- 
ing full  attention  to  my  subject.  "  No,  I  don't 
know  as  ever  I  did.  What  is  it,  a  doctrine  or  a 
medicine?  " 

"  It's  the  belief,  Jim,  that  souls  return  to  the 
earth  again  in  new  bodies.  Some  believe  that  only 
in  animals  and  lower  forms  does  this  happen  and 
others  that  even  when  souls  have  been  on  this 
earth,  they  return  again  to  complete  their  experi- 
ences. I  was  thinking  that  your  idea  of  the  ease 
with  which  God  might  slip  in  or  out  a  soul  might 
make  it  easy  for  you  to  believe  in  this  rather 
strange  doctrine  of  reincarnation.  What  do  you 
think  of  it?" 


44  HARBOR  JIM 

"  Sounds  fairly  sensible  to  me,  on  first  thought. 
I  don't  remember  anything  in  the  Book  about  it, 
though  I  don't  pretend  to  say  I  know  all  that's  in 
that  Book.  It  might  explain  some  things  that's 
hard  to  explain  now  with  our  present  eye-sight. 
There's  old  lady  Farrar,  that  I  was  a'telling  you 
about,  who  cured  herself  of  weakness  and  was 
about  twenty  years  younger  at  eighty-five  than 
eighty.  She  never  had  any  real  luck  or  any  great 
blessings  until  she  cured  herself.  She  was  one  of 
the  unfortunate  kind,  most  always  ailin'  and  when 
you  went  to  see  her  she  had  some  new  misfortune 
to  tell  you  about.  She  lost  every  one  of  her  chil- 
dren and  two  husbands  besides.  Folks  said  it 
wasn't  any  great  loss,  so  far  as  the  husbands  were 
concerned,  but  then  they  were  hers  and  she  took  on 
considerable.  Yet  she  has  always  been  a  decent 
woman,  kept  the  commandments  far  as  her  neigh- 
bors could  judge;  paid  her  bills,  when  she  could; 
went  to  church  and  said  her  prayers;  and  she  had 
only  a  triflin'  amount  of  good  fortune.  She  had  to 
wash  and  scrub  for  the  neighbors  to  make  ends 
meet  and  the  splicin'  was  often  poor. 

"Just  compare  her  life  with  the  lives  of  other 
women  folks  whose  husbands  usually  had  a  good 
catch  and  got  good  prices,  whose  children  never 
died  and  who  prospered  thru  the  years  and  even 
handled  the  commands  in  a  slippery  fashion.  It  is 
hard  to  think  justice  has  been  done  in  both  cases 


SOME  MIRACLES  45 

or  perhaps  in  either  case.  But  if  this  miracle  of 
slipping  a  soul  back  into  a  body  and  sending  it  to 
school  again  is  true,  that  you  are  telling  me  about, 
why  it  clears  up  a  lot  of  the  problems.  Mrs. 
Farrar  didn't  pass  the  examinations  the  first  or 
second  time  she  was  here  and  she  was  sent  back  to 
study  more  and  she  is  getting  about  what  she 
ought  to  have  in  His  judgment. 

"  I  think,  however,  that  reincarnation  idea  that 
you  mention,  I  would  need  to  think  a  good  deal 
about  before  I  cared  to  tie  too  fast  to  it.  I  presume 
I'll  end  up  in  putting  it  into  quite  a  big  package  of 
goods  I  am  saving  for  shipping  across  the  stream 
when  I  take  passage.  I've  marked  them  '  For  His 
Judgment '  and  when  I  get  over  there,  I'll  sort  'em 
and  see  if  they're  worth  saving,  and  if  I'm  still 
doubtful  about  any  on  'em  I'll  just  get  Him  to  pass 
judgment  on  them.  That's  seems  to  be  a  sensible 
thing  to  do. 

"  But  we  was  talking  about  miracles  here  and 
now.  To  me  the  greatest  miracles  Christ  worked 
were  not  in  curing  diseases,  but  in  curing  sins.  I 
have  always  thought  it  a  miracle  that  He  could  take 
Peter  with  his  stubbornness  and  his  habit  of  speak- 
ing up  too  quick  and  make  him  strong  enough, 
sound  enough,  to  be  a  real  corner  stone  in  His  new 
church.  I  callate  Peter  was  pretty  well  along  in 
years  when  the  Master  called  him  and  old  folks 
ain't  as  easy  to  work  on  as  those  that  are  young 


46  HARBOR  JIM 

and  more  pliable.  I  count  it  a  miracle  that  He 
made  over  Peter  so  well. 

"  I  have  always  been  a  good  deal  interested  to 
find  out  what  became  of  Judas  Iscariot  who  be- 
trayed Him.  He  wasn't  a  fisherman  like  Peter 
and  he  was  harder  still  to  work  on.  I  know  some 
of  the  ministers  have  got  rid  of  him,  by  tossing  him 
over  board  and  letting  him  drown  in  perdition. 
But  the  Lord  God  that  went  after  the  sheep  would 
a  some  day  heared  the  moaning  of  Judas  and  a-gone 
to  his  rescue,  seems  though.  If  the  Lord  could 
work  a  miracle  on  Peter  couldn't  He  some  time, 
some  how  do  it  on  Judas?  He  must  a  had  some 
beginning  points  on  him  some  wheres." 

"  I  tell  you  the  Lord  has  plenty  a  chances  to  work 
miracles  if  He  wishes,  right  round  here.  There's 
Rascal  Moore.  He  ain't  been  converted  yet." 

"Rascal  Moore,  did  you  say,  Jim?"  I  inter- 
rupted. 

"  Well  that  wasn't  the  name  his  mother  gave 
him,  but  she  didn't  know  he  would  take  all  his 
father's  bad  points  and  add  a  few  more  evil  ways. 
She  named  him,  Pascal.  But  Rascal  fits  him  bet- 
ter and  everybody  knows  him  by  that  name,  and  I 
have  to  think  twice  to  remember  he  ever  had  an- 
other name. 

"  Rascal  has  done  more  to  hurt  the  salt-fish  busi- 
ness than  any  fisherman  I  know.  He  manages  to 
get  hold  of  the  most  ornery,  two-cent  fish  there  are 


SOME  MIRACLES  47 

in  the  sea.  These  fish  have  a  hankering  for  Rascal, 
I  guess,  and  they  scoot  straight  for  his  nets.  When 
he  gets  'em,  he  never  cleans  well  and  he  always 
hurries  the  curing,  and  he  is  none  too  particular 
about  either  counting  or  weighing.  He'll  sell  a 
little  cheaper  or  lie  a  little  stronger  and  get  rid  of 
'em,  usually  to  an  exporter  and  they  go  perhaps  to 
Naples  and  they're  so  poor,  the  folks  who  buy  them 
never  want  any  more  Newfoundland  cod-fish.  The 
government  ought  not  to  wait  for  the  Lord  to 
punish  Rascal,  they  should  get  after  him  right 
away. 

"  Rascal  has  other  sins  to  account  for.  Every- 
body feels,  though  they  don't  hardly  dare  say  so, 
that  he  killed  his  wife,  and  he's  so  mean  he's  never 
married  since.  If  there's  been  a  piece  of  deviltry 
carried  out  anywheres  within  fifty  miles  of  St. 
John's  that  he  hasn't  had  a  part  in,  I  have  yet  to 
learn  o'  the  fact. 

"  I  say  to  convert  Rascal  Moore  would  be  a  real 
miracle.  And  it  will  be  done  and  I  would  be  glad 
to  see  it  done  on  short  order.  I  know  it  can  be 
done,  for  I  have  seen  other  folks  as  mean,  ornery 
and  selfish  as  Rascal  come  meekly  to  the  judgment 
seat,  I  have  seen  'em  rise  outen  their  old  selves 
and  become  new  and  clean  as  a  sunshiny  morning 
after  the  air  has  been  washed  in  a  fog.  I  have 
seen  so  much  done  by  the  Lord  on  His  own  ac- 
count and  working  thru  the  hands  of  His  servants 


48  HARBOR  JIM 

that  I  never  doubt  that  Rascal  Moore  will  be  made 
right. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  believe  in  miracles  and  I  see  them 
every  day.  Brown  earth  a-turning  into  blades  and 
blossoms,  in  some  wonderful  way  that  He  planned. 
No  less  wonderful  I  see  bad  men  becoming  good 
men;  sick  men  becoming  well  men;  and  they  that 
have  been  under  the  heels  of  sin  and  slavery 
standin'  up  on  their  own  feet.  When  I  can't  ex- 
plain something  I  still  feel  it  is  happening  under  the 
law  and  it's  another  of  His  miracles." 


V 
"  I  ASKED  FOR  FISH  " 

MY  business  in  St.  John's  had  been  brought 
to  a  conclusion  and  it  was  time  that  I 
crossed  to  Port-aux-Basques  and  made  my 
way  thru  Nova  Scotia  and  back  into  the  States. 
There  was  only  one  reason  for  my  staying,  and 
that  was  the  chance  of  seeing  a  little  more  of 
Harbor  Jim  and  perhaps  learning  a  little  more  of 
his  philosophy. 

So  it  happened  that  again  I  was  in  the  little  fish- 
erman's cottage  and  Mrs.  Jim  was  brewing  tea  for 
me,  for  she  never  permitted  even  an  inquirer  to 
come  to  her  door  without  his  cup  of  tea.  I  put  a 
question  to  Jim  that  fortunately  set  him  to  talking 
about  prayer.  I  had  expected  to  draw  out  a  fish 
story  but  I  found  him  launching  into  an  account  of 
his  belief  in  prayer  and  his  ventures  in  talking  with 
His  Father. 

"  What  was  the  best  catch  you  ever  had,  Jim  ?  " 
I  questioned  him. 

"  It  was  last  April  and  it  come  in  direct  answer 
to  prayer,"  Jim  answered  promptly  and  without  the 
least  embarrassment. 

"  In  answer  to  prayer?  "  I  said,  and  the  tone  of 
surprise  was  in  my  voice. 

49 


60  HARBOR  JIM 

"  Why  not,"  said  Jim.  "  You  believe  in  prayer, 
I  suppose,  then  why  limit  it.  I  needed  a  big  catch. 
I'd  had  to  paint  the  house  and  there  had  been  many 
expenses  and  I  had  to  have  a  big  catch  to  tide 
things  over.  You  will  remember  that  the  Bible 
takes  for  granted  folks  will  pray  for  fish,  for  it 
says: 

"  '  If  ye  ask  for  fish  will  he  give  you  a  stone.' 

"  No,  the  man  that  asks  for  fish  and  asks  right 
gets  fish  and  the  man  that  asks  for  bread  gets  bread. 
It  doesn't  matter  what  you  want,  prayer  will  fetch 
it.  You  remember  He  said : 

"  *  Ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will  in  my  name  and  I 
will  give  it  you.' 

"  I  don't  pretend  to  set  myself  up  to  judge  of 
what  the  parsons  should  or  shouldn't  do.  I  am 
more  or  less  an  ignorant  man,  so  far  as  schools  go, 
though  I  have  read  a  heap  since  I  was  converted, 
and  what's  more  important,  I  have  looked  and 
thought  a  good  deal.  And  I've  looked  in  more'n 
one  direction.  Old  Mr.  Squibbs  who  used  to  live 
out  to  Heart's  Delight  was  an  odd  stick.  His  wife 
died  and  he  took  to  livin'  alone  and  he  got  kinder 
warped.  He  built  him  a  house  with  only  one  win- 
dow and  he  always  had  only  the  one  view  when  he 
looked  out.  Thinks  I,  some  folks  are  like  old  Mr. 
Squibbs,  they  have  only  one  window  and  looking 
out  o'  that  window  they  see  only  a  few  things  and 
no  wonder  they're  often  a  little  lackin'  in  the  loft. 


"  I  ASKED  FOR  FISH  "  51 

But  I've  tried  to  keep  all  the  windows  of  my  mind 
and  soul  open  and  to  let  the  light  in  and  to  look  out 
on  all  sides.  The  result  o'  all  this  lookin'  and  a 
thinkin'  is  that  some  parsons  and  some  folks,  par- 
sons is  folks,  though  they  are  commonly  reckoned 
in  a  different  class,  don't  understand  the  nature  o' 
prayer.  They  take  it  the  Lord  has  got  kinder  out 
o'  touch  with  the  doings  of  His  children,  and  it's 
up  to  them  to  let  the  Lord  on  to  the  situation.  I 
have  heared  some  prayers  in  churches  that 
sounded  like  a  newspaper  recounting  the  happen- 
ings. Strikes  me  they  must  have  a  queer  notion 
of  the  Lord,  to  think  He  don't  know  what's  hap- 
pening to  His  own  created  children. 

"  There's  other  prayers  appear  rather  impudent. 
They  tell  the  Lord  just  what  He  ought  to  do.  Who 
are  we,  poor  creatures  on  the  earth,  who  can't  see 
back  of  us,  or  before  us,  but  a  very  little  way  and 
then  only  when  it's  a  clear  sky,  who  are  we  that  we 
should  rise  up  in  our  conceit  and  tell  the  Lord  what 
He  had  better  do.  It's  turning  the  boat  round  and 
headin'  it  the  wrong  way.  We  are  to  ask  Him 
what  He  wants  us  to  do.  We  are  to  come  to  Him 
not  to  give  knowledge  but  to  get  wisdom. 

"  Parson  Curtis  called  me  impudent  because  I 
asked  the  Lord  for  a  mess  o'  fish,  and  a  big  mess, 
too.  But  I  don't  agree  with  the  parson  on  this  mat- 
ter. I  don't  know  why  we  shouldn't  ask  Him  for 
what  we  think  we  need,  but  there's  a  right  and  a 


52  HARBOR  JIM 

wrong  way  of  asking.  Mind  you  I  didn't  presume 
to  tell  the  Lord  how  to  send  them  or  where.  I  just 
left  it  in  His  hands.  I  prayed  something  like  this : 

"  '  Kind  Father,  we  were  talking  over  blessings 
last  night  and  I  mentioned  a  good  many  that  You 
had  sent  us;  and  then  when  I'd  finished  sayin'  my 
thanksgivings,  I  asked  that  You  make  it  possible 
for  me  to  find  a  mess  o'  fish  and  a  good-sized  one. 
Now  I  know  You'll  say  no,  if  it's  best,  and  I'll  not 
murmur  or  complain;  but  if  it  seems  to  You  to  be 
best,  You'll  know  the  way  to  send  them  and  when 
it's  best.  It's  all  in  Your  hands  and  I'm  not  dic- 
tating to  You,  Father.  But  I  want  You  to  know 
that  we  are  needing  fish  and  that  I'm  a-goin'  to 
keep  my  eyes  open  and  my  boat  trim  and  my  hooks 
and  sinkers  right  and  my  nets  all  mended,  and  I'll 
be  waitin'  for  the  Word/ 

"  That's  just  about  the  way  I  pray.  I  am  not 
afraid  to  come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace.  He 
would  never  find  fault  with  my  grammar,  for 
doesn't  He  encourage  the  little  folks  to  talk  with 
Him.  Sure,  that's  just  what  it  is  talking  with  Him. 
When  we  talk  to  one  another,  its  conversation; 
when  we  talk  to  ourselves,  its  thinking;  and  when 
we  talk  to  God,  it's  praying. 

"  I  never  yet  have  told  the  Lord  how  to  do  any- 
thing, or  how  to  fetch  my  gifts.  For  since  all 
things  and  all  powers  and  all  means  are  in  His 
hands,  He  doesn't  need  to  be  told.  I  most  likely 


"  I  ASKED  FOR  FISH  "  53 

wouldn't  know  the  best  way  for  transporting  His 
gifts.  I  have  to  ask  humbly  and  faithfully  and 
then  to  keep  the  doors  open,  so's  whoever  He  sends 
will  find  me  ready  and  waitin'  to  receive. 

"  Then  again,  I  seldom  pray  for  an  easy  time  or 
a  smooth  sea.  I  want  to  be  strong  and  I  don't 
mind  wrestling  like  Jacob  with  the  strange  one,  so 
long's  I  come  out  the  winner.  I  don't  mind  if  the 
sea  is  ruffled,  or  the  waves  mount,  or  the  wind 
lashes  the  sails,  so  long  as  I  know  He  has  an  eye 
on  me  and  keeps  me.  I  have  found  that  if  He 
sends  me  extra  work,  He  always  sends  along  extra 
strength,  and  the  blessed  part  of  it  is  that  the 
strength  comes  at  just  about  the  time  the  work 
does. 

"  I  pray  sometimes  for  health  for  my  body,  but 
I  am  much  more  likely  to  pray  for  the  health  of 
soul.  For  I  dread  sickness  of  soul,  more'en  I  do 
sickness  of  my  body.  It  is  far  harder  to  get  rid  of 
selfishness  than  to  get  over  a  stomach-ache.  I'd 
rather  see  my  little  Clara  sick  with  the  measles  than 
to  see  her  developing  dishonesty." 

"  How  long  does  it  usually  take  the  Lord  to 
answer  your  prayers,"  I  asked,  and  not  jocularly, 
but  in  the  hope  of  finding  out  what  results  had 
come  to  Jim  as  a  result  of  his  sincere  prayers. 

"  How  long  does  it  take  before  it  rains,  do  you 
know?  Can  you  tell  when  the  frost  will  take  my 
cabbages  or  the  snow  heap  up  my  door- way? 


64  HARBOR  JIM 

Neither  can  I  tell  when  the  Lord  will  send  what 
I  ask.  He  knows  better  than  I  do.  He  knows  the 
value  of  delays,  and  how  long  to  try  my  patience. 
I  wouldn't  say  He  hurried,  for  the  more  I  come  to 
know  of  Him,  the  more  I  find  it  true  that  He  has 
taken  time  to  do  most  things  He  has  done.  You 
can  get  an  idea  of  how  He  works  by  looking  at 
this  earth  that  He  took  so  long  to  fix  up  for  us. 
As  I've  told  you  before,  I  think  the  Lord  loves  to 
surprise  us  children  and  often  He  sends  a  blessing 
when  we  are  least  expecting  it  and  the  answer 
comes  on  a  dark,  stormy  day  when  it's  like  a  ray  of 
sunshine  breaking  thru  a  cloud. 

"  I  talk  over  all  my  needs  with  Him,  but  I  don't 
devote  all  my  praying  to  myself.  I've  done  quite 
a  lot  of  praying  for  Rascal  Moore,  and  some  day 
the  Lord  will  surprise  Rascal  and  me  and  he'll  be 
converted.  Of  course  I  pray  for  my  own  wife  and 
my  own  little  girl  and  I  pray  for  Bob  McCartney 
and  I  also  remember  Spotty,  my  dog.  If  I  had  a 
cow,  which  I  haven't  just  now,  I'd  pray  for  her. 
They  are  God's  offspring,  and  they  were  planned 
by  Him  and  they  need  His  care  to  provide  fresh 
green  and  abundant  water.  It's  a  responsibility 
for  which  we  need  help,  the  caring  for  the  other 
children." 

"  You  are  wandering  away  from  your  fish 
story,"  I  reminded  him.  "  What  about  that  big 
catch?  How  did  it  happen?  " 


"  I  ASKED  FOR  FISH  "  55 

"  It  was  very  simple.  I  went  out  to  the  fishing 
grounds.  It  would  have  been  asking  too  much  of 
the  Lord  to  have  demanded  that  He  send  them 
ashore.  I  went  where  I'd  be  likely  to  find  fish. 
And  when  I  got  to  the  grounds,  I  heared  a  voice 
say,  '  Let  your  nets  down  on  the  starboard  side.' 
And  I  did  as  He  told  me  and  I  had  the  best  catch 
of  the  season." 


VI 
LIVIN'  ALONG 

SEVERAL  months  had  passed  without  a  word 
from  Harbor  Jim,  when  one  morning  going 
thru  a  batch  of  mail,  that  was  given  over  to 
business  matters,  I  came  upon  a  rather  soiled  enve- 
lope that  was  post-marked  "  St.  John's."  I  was 
quite  sure  that  it  was  from  Jim  and  I  pushed  aside 
the  communications  from  firms  that  offered  me  oil 
stock  and  a  fortune  and  the  letters  of  others  who 
were  suing  for  favors  of  one  kind  and  another  and 
turned  with  the  relish  of  a  boy  to  read  the  message 
from  my  friend.  I  am  willing  that  you  should 
read  it,  but  I  have  made  some  corrections  in  spell- 
ing and  a  few  in  grammar,  that  you  may  read  it 
about  as  he  would  have  read  it  aloud,  about,  I 
think,  as  he  intended  it  to  read. 
"  Dear  One, 

"  It's  a  long  time  since  we've  seen  you  on  the 
flakes.  It's  a  long  time  since  we've  read  the  word 
o'  the  Lord  together  beside  the  evening  lamp.  I'm 
not  thinking  of  coming  to  New  York  to  see  you.  I 
know  I  have  been  invited  manys  the  time,  but  I'm 
not  risking  a  leg  yet  in  your  full  streets.  It's  get- 
tin'  bad  enough  in  St.  John's  with  all  the  autos 
a-whisking  down  Water  St.  It's  a  fine  thing  that 

56 


LIVIN'  ALONG  57 

we  can  send  a  message  up  there  to  you.  It  was  a 
kind  Father  that  made  it  possible  for  us  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  each  other  as  well  as  with  Him.  I 
often  think  of  the  Master's  ideas  on  the  subject. 
You  remember  He  told  us  if  we  really  got  ac- 
quainted with  our  brothers  we  should  know  the 
Father,  and  without  that  acquaintance  we  couldn't 
really  know  Him. 

"  There  ain't  no  great  thing  happened  to  tell  of. 
I've  just  been  livin'  along.  Eatin'  and  sleepin' 
every  day  and  fishin'  most  days.  But  I've  been 
orayin'  every  day  and  a  receivin'  of  replies  day  by 
day.  The  Lord's  been  with  me  all  the  way.  Yes, 
just  as  much  as  though  I  could  write  you  of  a 
great,  sudden  happening.  There's  a  good  many 
folks  I  find  who  recognize  the  Lord's  doings  in  the 
big,  flashing  things  of  life  and  forget  Him  alto- 
gether except  at  them  special  times.  It's  rare  that 
I  sit  up  with  a  corpse,  which  I  often  do,  without 
hearing  a  confession  about  the  Lord's  hand  and 
the  Lord's  doing  in  the  coming  of  the  stroke;  but 
it's  most  likely  that  same  man  who  is  very  con- 
scious and  pitiful  didn't  have  much  thought  or 
dealings  with  the  Lord  till  his  sorrows  come  upon 
him. 

"  Now  the  Lord  is  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dark 
Times  and  He's  on  the  Bright  Height  of  Victory, 
but  He's  also  along  the  Common  Way,  the  level 
road  that  makes  up  the  every  day's  travel.  That's 


68  HARBOR  JIM 

what  I  used  to  forget  and  that's  what  I'm  begin- 
ning to  remember  and  it  makes  heap  a  different  in 
your  knowledge  o'  life  itself  and  the  joy  you  get 
outen  it. 

"  There's  countless  folks  know  He  never  fails 
in  time  o'  need,  but  I'm  one  who  finds  that  He 
never  fails  at  any  time  and  that  every  day  is  a  day 
o'  need. 

"  It  may  be  I've  met  the  wrong  kind  o'  folks 
some  of  the  journey,  but  I've  found  a  good  many 
that  make  a  heap  a  trouble  just  out  o'  living.  They 
remind  me  o'  Martha  who  got  so  fussed  up  doing 
common  housework  she  couldn't  understand  the 
need  o'  spiritual  house-keeping  at  all.  Folks  don't 
seem  to  have  time  enough  to  live  their  lives  easily. 
They  start  off  with  a  hitch  and  they  break  down 
afore  they  get  very  far.  Seems  though  they 
thought  there  want  goin'  to  be  another  life  after 
this  one  and  they'd  got  to  do  all  eternity's  work  in 
this  little  span  o'  time.  Don't  seem  reasonable  and 
natural  to  expect  a  man  to  do  the  work  o'  two 
worlds  in  one.  The  Lord  don't  expect  it  neither. 

"  The  Lord  Jesus  had  about  the  biggest  task  on 
hand  that  any  man  ever  had.  His  job  was  to  save 
the  world.  He  had  only  three  years  for  His  min- 
istry and  if  he  had  lived  as  some  of  the  folks  here- 
abouts are  livin'  He  would  have  so  consumed  Him- 
self with  worry  and  fret  that  He  would  a  died  with 
a  fever  afore  the  first  year  was  over.  One  thing  I 


LIVIN'  ALONG  59 

note  as  I  read  His  story  is  that  He  moved  majestic 
like  He  had  time  to  do  what  needed  to  be  done. 
I  guess*  it's  the  things  that  we  could  get  on  with  out 
that  take  the  most  time  and  gender  the  most  worry. 

"  There's  always  time  enough  to  do  what  the 
Lord  intended  to  be  done  in  this  life,  else  He 
wouldn't  have  assigned  it.  He  wouldn't  run  His 
universe  on  a  leisurely  and  comfortable  plan,  if  He 
expected  us  to  wear  ourselves  out  hustling.  I  take 
it  He  counts  a  thousand  years  are  as  one  day  not 
only  for  Himself  but  as  well  for  us  children. 
Thinkin'  of  His  plan  kinder  takes  the  fever  outen 
your  veins,  kinder  makes  you  understand  what 
His  Son  meant  about  the  peace  that  passeth 
understandin'. 

"  Effie  is  the  same  as  ever.  She's  just  livin' 
along,  same's  I.  The  children  are  doin'  well  at 
school.  Bob  McCartney  was  over  night  afore  last. 
His  boy  has  got  the  rheumatics,  but  I  guess  tain't 
nothin'  permanent.  The  government  is  thinkin'  o' 
takin'  over  the  railroad  again.  Our  railroad  has 
had  a  hard  time  and  it's  been  found  fault  with  a 
good  deal,  but  it's  got  an  iron  constitution  and  I 
guess  it  can  stand  it.  As  I  told  you  once,  it's  all 
the  railroad  we've  got  and  it's  a  powerful  lot  bet- 
tern  no  railroad. 

"  I  am  thinkin'  often  these  days  of  little  Peter. 
I  can  think  now  without  swallowin'  hard  and  I'm 
beginnin'  to  get  comfort  instead  of  trouble  when 


60  HARBOR  JIM 

I  think.  I  have  been  thinking  about  the  conditions 
o'  life  over  there.  Sometime  when  your  down 
here  I'll  talk  with  you  about  the  Heaven  Home, 
but  it  would  take  too  long  to  write  it  out  and  then 
I  don't  knows  you  would  be  interested.  Any  how 
it  would  come  out  easy  with  your  kind  o'  questions. 
I  like  you,  but  I  do  think  your  about  the  hardest 
questioner  I  ever  knowed. 

"  Respectfully  yours,  that's  how  letters  are 
signed  when  a  man  writes  you  for  fish  or  bait  or 
somethin',  but  I  don't  see  why  it  ain't  proper  for 
a  friend,  for  certain  we  ought  to  respect  our 
friends,  and  the  fact  we  can  respect  'em  makes  us 
the  more  sure  their  friends. 

"  Jim." 

"  P.  S.  I  saw  Bob  McCartney  last  night.  He 
was  lookin'  well  and  had  his  behaviour  (silk-hat) 
on.  He  had  been  to  a  party." 


VII 
THE  HEAVEN  HOME 

WHEN  again  the  good  fortune  brought  me 
to  Newfoundland  and  led  me  out  to  the 
fisherman's  cottage,  I  did  not  forget  Jim's 
promise  to  tell  me  of  his  observations  concerning 
the    future  life.     We  had,   thru  our   increasing 
friendship,  come  to  understand  each  other.     I  had 
learned   when   to   keep   silent   and   I   knew  Jim's 
moods  and  when  to  intrude  would  be  the  height  of 
ingratitude  and  when  to  enter  would  be  the  act  of 
an  accepted  friend. 

The  reading  of  the  Book  had  been  finished  for 
the  evening  and  there  was  yet  a  half  hour  before 
my  friend  would  count  it  his  time  to  retire.  "  How 
about  the  Heaven  Home,  I  think  that  is  what  you 
called  it,"  I  asked,  and  Jim,  without  parleying,  was 
ready  to  speak  freely  in  answer. 

''  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  like  the  word  home,  as  ap- 
plied to  it.  I  couldn't  think  of  Peter  as  wantin'  to 
stay  in  a  mansion.  In  the  Comfort  Chapter  in 
John,  I've  always  read  the  word  '  home '  in  place 
of  '  mansion.'  The  parsons  tell  me  that  there  are 
some  mistakes  in  the  translatin'  o'  the  Good  Book, 
and  I  am  sure  that  it's  a  mistake  here.  There  ain't 
enough  comfort  in  the  thought  of  a  mansion  for 

61 


62  HARBOR  JIM 

most  of  us  common  run  o'  folks,  and  it  was  for  us 
that  He  come  and  told  of  this  life  and  the  life  to 
come. 

"  I'm  sure  it's  a  home.  I  think  it  must  have  in 
it  things  that  match  up  with  what  we  got  here.  I 
don't  see  how  we  could  feel  at  home  without  some- 
thing like  tables  and  chairs.  We  had  a  parson  one 
time  who  knew  all  about  it  over  there,  accordin'  to 
his  tell.  He  told  us  about  the  crowns  and  harps 
and  the  golden  streets  and  the  singin'  that  went  on 
all  the  day  long.  But  I  callate  no  Lander  would 
care  for  such  a  life  as  that,  and  if  that's  what  it's 
like  there's  precious  few  of  us  'uns  over  there. 

"  Now  if  it's  a  home  as  I  think  it  must  be  since 
the  Father  has  planned  it,  there  must  be  home- 
likeness  there.  There  must  be  somethin'  that  cor- 
responds to  tables  and  chairs  and  all  the  little  things 
that  go  to  makin'  up  a  real  home,  else  how  could  a 
man  be  happy  over  there,  who  had  just  left  a  happy 
home  here.  I'm  not  sayin'  we  shall  always  need 
them  things,  but  I  am  a  sayin'  that  in  the  very  next 
life  we  must  have  things  we  are  used  to  for  a  spell 
till  we  get  to  the  point  where  we  don't  need  them, 
but  somethin'  else.  Sounds  sensible  to  me  to  think 
that  way. 

"  You  remember  that  after  the  Lord  was  dead 
and  Peter  was  plumb  worn  out  and  discouraged; 
there  didn't  seem  to  be  no  hope  nowheres ;  he  de- 
cided to  go  fishin'.  I  callate  there  are  times  when 


THE  HEAVEN  HOME  63 

a  man  would  rather  go  salmon  fishing  than  to  do 
anything  else  in  the  world,  provided  he  knows 
what  good  salmon  fishin'  it.  Now  for  these  fish- 
ermen about  the  only  thing  the  Lord  can  do,  if  He 
wants  to  make  'em  happy  as  He  promised  to  do,  is 
to  give  'em  a  chance  at  fishin'. 

"  I  wouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  some  morning  in 
Heaven  to  be  trailin'  along  the  bank  o'  some  good 
stream  fishin'  and  lookin'  up  sudden  to  see  the 
Lord  there  a  fishin'  too. 

"  You  smile,  but  why  not  ?  Do  you  think  the 
Father  is  so  foolish  as  to  drop  us  down  in  a  strange 
place  where  we  don't  understand  and  we  don't 
know  what  to  do.  Does  it  appear  to  you  that  the 
Lord  would  take  a  little  fellow  like  Peter  and  send 
him  around  with  a  harp.  I'll  tell  you  what  Peter 
would  want  to  do,  he  would  want  to  jump  rain 
barrels  so  as  he  would  know  how  to  jump  ice  pans 
when  he  got  older. 

"  What  good  would  it  do  to  take  any  little  fel- 
low outen  the  primary  school  and  put  him  right 
into  college.  It  wouldn't  do  him  or  the  college  one 
particle  of  good.  It  would  be  a  sheer  waste  for 
everybody  concerned.  I  think  the  Father  is  wiser 
than  that,  and  it's  always  kinder  amused  me  and 
somewhat  disgusted  me  that  the  parsons  have 
imagined  heaven  to  be  so  teetotally  different  from 
this  life. 

"  I've  seen  so  much  of  His  wisdom  here,  I  can't 


64  HARBOR  JIM 

come  to  think  that  He's  working  blind  and  foolish 
over  there.  Will  I  know  little  Peter,  sure  I  will, 
or  it  wouldn't  be  heaven.  Then  his  new  little  body 
must  look  like  the  present  one,  only  stronger  and 
it  won't  hurt  it  so  much  when  he  pinches  it. 

"  He'll  get  into  the  place  that  fits  for  him,  not 
because  he's  sent,  but  because  he  just  naturally  goes 
where  he  belongs.  And  as  it  is  with  little  Peter  so 
it  will  be  with  every  one.  Perhaps  by  this  time  he 
has  seen  the  Christ,  for  the  kingdom  is  always 
found  quicker  by  a  child  than  by  a  grown  man. 
Children  see  things  that  we  older  folks  find  it  hard 
to  see." 

"  How  about  Rascal  Moore?  "  I  asked. 

"  Just  now  he's  taken  his  cat  and  dog  and  he's 
gone  to  the  woods.*  Mebbe  there  a  stick  will  hit 
him  and  knock  a  little  sense  into  him.  He's  by  no 
means  hopeless.  I've  seen  worse  ones  than  he  is 
get  sense  afore  they  died.  But  you  mean  what 
would  become  of  him  if  he  went  just  as  he  is. 
Well,  there  must  be  sufferin'  for  the  likes  o'  him. 
You  can't,  and  I  find  the  Lord  Himself  don't, 
seem  to  make  a  sinner  into  a  saint  all  of  a  sudden. 
He  may  wake  him  up  sudden  and  start  him,  but  it 
takes  time  to  get  him  rounded  off.  He'll  go  where 
he  belongs  just  as  the  others;  and  if  for  a  while  he 
belongs  in  an  uncomfortable,  painful  place  why 
there's  where  he'll  go.  I  never  could  see  the  sense 

*  Gone  to  a  lumber  camp. 


THE  HEAVEN  HOME  65 

in  trying  to  think  that  everybody  would  go  right 
off  to  one  same  place  and  be  in  heaven.  There's  too 
much  difference  in  folks ;  there's  the  converted  and 
the  unconverted ;  there's  the  sinners  and  the  saints ; 
and  though  you  put  'em  in  the  same  place,  it 
wouldn't  be  the  same  place  for  them.  It  don't  seem 
probable  to  me  either  that  they  can't  never  change 
their  places  when  they  get  over  there.  There's  a 
good  deal  o'  changin'  here,  so  there's  likely  to  be 
over  there. 

"  There  are  changes  in  the  earth  homes,  there'll 
be  changes  in  the  heaven  homes.  And  it  will  be 
well  so  long  as  the  changes  are  for  the  better.  I 
can't  think  that  will  always  be  the  case,  howsom- 
ever,  for  it  ain't  the  case  here.  But  gradual  I'm 
expectin'  conditions  will  improve  and  the  handi- 
caps are  less  over  there.  With  the  help  o'  Moses, 
Isaiah  and  the  prophets  and  saints  we  ought  to  get 
on  at  a  fair  pace.  A  tremendous  lot  o'  mothers  is 
over  there ;  they've  been  a  goin'  out  one  by  one  for 
a  terrible  long  spell,  makes  me  dizzy  when  I  get  to 
thinkin'  o'  some  o'  these  subjects.  Mothers  don't 
loaf  so  long  as  there's  chance  to  help  kids,  an'  I'm 
callating  that  they'll  do  some  pretty  good  work 
along  lines  o'  convertin'  over  there. 

"  I  expect  to  hear  the  baccaloo*  over  there  and 
I'd  rather  hear  a  baccaloo  than  a  nightingale  or  a 
lark  for  it  would  seem  more  like  home.  That's  the 

*A  loon. 


66  HARBOR  JIM 

big  thing  and  the  Lord  ain't  likely  to  disappoint  me 
or  any  one  who  is  lookin'  for  a  home  over  there. 

"  The  heaven  home  is  a  good  sight  nearer  than 
most  folks  think.  The  journey  is  short  and  it's 
only  our  poor  sight  and  our  hearin'  that  has  made 
it  so  far  away  I  know  Peter's  often  near  me  while 
I'm  at  work  and  it's  a  comfortable  feeling,  not  a 
scarey  one  to  think  he's  liable  to  be  around  most 
any  time  and  I  must  be  on  my  guard  not  to  let  slip 
any  string  o'  words  that  would  be  bad  for  him  to 
hear.  It  chucks  a  fellow  up  to  feel  that  he  must  be 
on  his  best  for  the  little  fellow  sees  and  knows.  I 
want  to  be  such  a  father  as  he'll  respect.  It  must 
be  mighty  oncomfortable  for  some  folks  when  they 
get  over  there,  for  some  folks  don't  do  no  growing 
after  they  lose  their  loved  ones  and  how  in  sank 
they  expect  to  be  fit  company  for  their  folks 
when  they  themselves  get  over  there  is  more'n  I 
can  tell. 

"  Because  there's  homes  there  don't  in  no  way 
interfere  with  it's  bein'  a  beautiful  place.  It  don't 
have  to  have  golden  harps  to  make  it  worth  while. 
There's  probably  rivers  that  are  prettier  than  'ourn, 
and  there  must  be  pink  calmia,  fox-gloves  and 
sweet  william,  pansies,  tea-bushes  and  a  good  many 
others  that  I  don't  happen  to  think  of.  There  must 
be  places  in  heaven  that  look  like  Deer  Lake,  Gaff 
Topsail,  Kelligrews  and  Brigus.  Mebbe  there's 
places  in  heaven  like  New  York,  too,  though  from 


THE  HEAVEN  HOME  67 

what  you  say  it  will  need  some  changin'  to  be  kept 
as  a  heaven  city. 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  think  that  I'm  a  gump* 
because  of  these  ideas,  but  to  me  they've  been  a 
good  deal  of  comfort  and  whenever  I  get  to  doubt- 
ing at  all  about  things  over  there  I  just  recall  it's 
a  home  and  I  settle  back  content." 


*A  very  foolish  person. 


VIII 
CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS 

THERE  was  the  calendar  right  before  me  on 
the  wall,  with  figures  big  enough  to  mentally 
hit  me  and  hit  hard,  and  I  should  have  re- 
membered that  the  road  of  the  year  had  turned 
toward  Christmas.  But  before  me  was  an  unfin- 
ished news  article  that  even  a  hungry  and  insistent 
stomach  did  not  seem  able  to  push  to  a  conclusion. 
Beyond  my  desk  out  of  the  window  I  looked  now 
and  then  down  upon  the  hurrying  throng  who  were 
making  their  way  across  City  Hall  Park  to  Brook- 
lyn Bridge.  It  was  the  hour  when  you  do  not 
know  whether  to  call  it  day  or  night.  It  was  in- 
describable in  another  way, — it  was  either  misting 
or  raining.  I  suppose  a  Scotchman  would  have 
called  it  mist  and  an  Irishman  rain.  I  think  that 
any  one  looking  out  that  night  would  have  found 
it  hard  to  see  in  the  gray  view  anything  sug- 
gestive of  Christmas.  I  turned  from  the  wet 
view  to  my  unfinished  work  only  to  be  again 
interrupted. 

A  Western  Union  boy  burst  into  my  office  with 
a  telegram.  It  was  from  St.  John's  and  I  won- 
dered as  I  tore  it  open  if  anything  had  happened  to 
Harbor  Jim.  It  was  short  and  for  once  the  ope- 

68 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS       69 

rators     had    apparently     followed    the     author's 
spelling. 

come  fur  chrismus  cant  take  no  fur  an 
answer  no  how  biggest  an  best  you  or 
yourn  hev  ever  seed  come  jim 

A  few  days  afterward  a  long  letter  came  enforc- 
ing and  elaborating  the  invitation.  Jim  wrote  that 
he  was  already  at  work  upon  a  Christmas  that 
would  eclipse  anything  New  York  had  ever  had. 
He  had  taken  the  idea  out  of  a  city  paper  that  I 
had  sent  him  a  year  before  and  had  developed  it 
and  he  wouldn't  care  to  go  forward  with  it,  unless 
I  could  be  there. 

That  is  how  it  happened  that  a  few  days  before 
Christmas,  on  the  last  steamer  that  would  get  me 
there  in  time,  I  was  steaming  into  St.  John's 
Harbor.  Our  boat  was  sheathed  with  ice  and  as  in 
the  morning  we  came  thru  the  Narrows  there  were 
knobs  of  ice  floating  around  us.  The  hills  were 
white  and  the  brown  stone  now  and  then  stuck  thru 
where  the  snow  had  lost  its  footing. 

Landing  I  found  the  people  in  furs  and  the 
sleighs  making  merry  music  with  their  bells.  A 
fellow  agreed  to  drive  me  out  to  Jim's  for  two 
dollars  and  a  half  and  I  went  in  his  sleigh,  he  called 
it,  but  in  New  England  it  would  have  more  prop- 
erly have  been  called  a  pung. 

Jim  almost  literally  wrapped  me  in  his  arms 


70  HARBOR  JIM 

and  outdid  himself  in  the  cordiality  of  his 
welcome. 

"  How's  fishing,  Jim  ?  "  I  asked  when  the  first 
greetings  were  over  and  I  had  my  feet  up  in  front 
of  the  stove. 

"  Fishin',  why  land  o'  Goshen,  this  ain't  no  time 
for  fishin'.  There  ain't  but  one  thing  on  my  mind 
an'  that  is  Christmas.  Don't  you  see  what  we  are 
a'doin'?" 

A  kettle  of  oil  was  on  the  stove  and  the  dipping 
of  half  grown  candles  had  been  recently  finished. 
On  the  floor  were  half  a  hundred  full  grown 
candles. 

Jim  could  talk  only  of  Christmas.  "  I've  been 
thinkin',"  he  said,  "  that  if  there  should  ever  be  a 
second  coming  of  the  Lord  or  He  should  send  an- 
other Son  to  His  people  He  couldn't  pick  out  a 
better  place  than  this.  Suppose  it  was  to  be  an- 
other birth.  I  callate  this  land  has  just  as  good  a 
chance  as  Palestine  and  hereabouts  is  as  fittin'  a 
place  as  Bethlehem.  Look  out  there  at  the  snow ! 
Makes  you  think  o'  a  baby's  blankets,  it's  so  white 
and  clean  and  pretty.  Our  nights  man't  have  stars 
as  brilliant  as  that  one  greater  star  of  the  first 
Christmas  mornin',  but  I  don't  believe  they  have 
flyin'  lights*  like  'ourn.  I  hev  noticed  that  the  Lord 
tries  to  be  as  impartial  as  He  can  and  since  He  sent 
His  Son  to  the  East  last  time,  if  ever  He  should 

*  Northern  Lights. 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS       71 

send  again  why  I  think  He'd  be  likely  to  send 
Him  somewhere  hereabouts.  You  remember  the 
Son  liked  fishin'  an'  He'd  be  delighted  with 
Newfoundland." 

The  door  opened  and  Bob  McCartney  walked  in. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Bob ;  what  you  got  your 
good  behavior*  on  fur?"  asked  Jim  as  his  friend 
entered. 

"Ain't  the  occasion  worth  it?  You  sed  your- 
self that  it  was  to  be  the  biggest  Christmas  the 
Landers  ever  hed;  and  I'd  like  to  know  if  we  aren't 
in  a  way  celebratin'  now  while  we're  gettin'  ready." 

"Who's  coming  to  this  Christmas,  Jim?"  I 
asked,  taking  my  turn  at  a  question. 

"  Well,  everybody  in  this  town,  quite  a  mess  o' 
folk  from  St.  John's  and  Quidi  Vidi.  Some  from 
Brigus,  Kelligrews  and  Heart's  Ease.  Aunt  Saray 
Bailey  is  a'  comin'  from  Nancy  Jobble.f  It's  such 
a  general  invitation  that  they  ain't  no  definite 
countin'  no  how,  but  their  comin'.  Everybody  that 
meets  anybody  hereabouts  and  nowadays  jes'  says 
are  you  a'  comin'  to  Jim's  fur  Christmas." 

Gradually  by  prying  questions  I  found  out  what 
Jim  was  planning  to  do.  He  had  been  extremely 
interested  in  the  account  I  had  sent  him  of  the  il- 
luminated tree  in  Madison  Square,  and  had  resolved 
to  have  the  trees  on  a  neighboring  hill-top  all  il- 


*  A  silk  hat. 

f  Lance  du  Diable. 


72  HARBOR  JIM 

luminated  where  they  stood.  In  place  of  electric 
lights  he  was  engaged  in  making  tallow  candles 
by  hand. 

The  day  before  Christmas,  Mrs.  Jim  was  up  very 
early  and  when  I  came  down  to  breakfast  she 
greeted  me  with  this : 

"  Got  to  make  a  biler  full  o'  tea  this  morning  fur 
the  Decoratin'  Committee  will  be  here  shortly." 

"  Yes,"  added  Jim,  "  they'll  be  here  shortly  and 
then  we'll  be  a  carryin'  out  Christmas.  *Up  your 
way  they  fetch  it  in,  but  we're  a  goin'  to  carry  it 
out,  good  and  proper,  this  year." 

The  first  arrival  was  Bob,  who  had  caught  the 
full  contagion  of  Jim's  spirit,  and  the  second  was 
Parson  Curtis. 

"  Hello,  Pa'son  Curtis,"  said  Jim  as  he  ushered 
in  his  guest.  "  Did  you  come  to  look  on  or  to 
work?" 

"  Put  me  in  among  the  workers,  Jim,"  replied 
the  parson. 

"  That's  right,  Pa'son,"  Jim  spoke  with  hearti- 
ness. "  I  like  a  pa'son  that  ain't  a  mite  afraid  o' 
work.  I  callate  that  our  Lord  was  one  o'  the 
greatest  workers  this  world  ever  seed,  and  it's  a 
good  thing  fur  those  who  are  a  takin'  His  place  to 
be  up  in  the  front  row  o'  workers.  Here's  a  bag  o' 
candles  and  here's  a  coil  o'  wire.  You  can  take 
'em  up  the  hill  and  begin  hitchin'  'em  to  the  tallest 
tree.  You  can  begin  on  the  low  branches  an'  when 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S.  FRIENDS       73 

the  younger  fellows  get  here  we'll  let  'em  shiney 
up  to  the  taller  branches." 

By  eight  o'clock,  fifty  men  and  boys  were  at 
work,  many  of  them  bringing  their  own  donation 
of  candles,  and  each  time  that  Jim  saw  more  can- 
dles coming  he  beamed,  for  it  meant  more  trees 
could  be  included  in  the  scheme. 

With  banter,  jest  and  story  the  work  of  attach- 
ing the  candles  went  on  thru  the  morning  and  at 
noon  we  went  back  to  Jim's  for  dinner.  We  all 
knew  what  to  expect  and  we  were  not  disappointed, 
when  with  keen  appetites,  we  crowded  the  little 
house  and  waited  our  turn  for  a  hot  plate  of 
brewse.  It's  Newfoundland's  distinctive  dish  and 
salt  fish  and  pork  never  tasted  better  than  that  noon 
after  our  climbing  up  in  the  trees. 

Walking  back  to  finish  our  work  in  the  after- 
noon I  said  to  Jim : 

"  It  strikes  me  it  is  a  little  unfortunate  that  the 
hill  we  are  decorating  has  no  tall  spruce  on  top. 
The  trees  are  well  arranged  on  the  slopes  but  the 
top  of  the  hill  itself  hasn't  a  tree  on  it!  " 

"  That's  what  pleases  me  about  it.  That's  why  I 
selected  it,  because  it  leaves  room  for  the  Candles 
of  the  Lord,'  answered  Jim.  "  There  on  the  top 
is  where  the  Light  o'  the  World  will  shine  out  to- 
night. When  we  get  the  rest  of  the  work  done 
we'll  place  it." 

An  hour  later  Jim  came  dragging  a  sled  with  a 


74  HARBOR  JIM 

huge  candle,  four  feet  high,  at  least,  and  it  was 
carefully  erected  in  the  centre  of  the  open  place  on 
the  hill.  At  three  o'clock  the  work  was  finished 
and  Jim  addressed  the  workers : 

"  Thank  you  all.  We'll  knock  off  for  a  spell. 
Those  that  lives  near  can  go  home.  Those  that 
lives  too  far  will  find  plenty  at  my  house.  Be  back 
every  one  of  you  an  hour  before  sunset.  The  sun 
won't  wait  for  any  o'  ye  and  if  you  don't  get  here 
the  lightin'  will  go  on  jes'  the  same,  but  I  wants  you 
all  to  be  here,  sure." 

They  began  to  arrive  before  the  appointed  time, 
but  I  waited  within  until  it  began  to  grow  dark, 
then  I  stepped  to  the  door  and  watched  the  multi- 
tude coming  up  from  the  valley.  I  remember  once 
I  went  out  with  the  crowds  and  climbed  Mt.  Rubi- 
doux  in  California  on  an  Easter  morning.  A  little 
in  advance  of  the  larger  contingent  I  stood  and 
watched  them  coming  up  out  of  the  darkness  of 
the  roads  below  into  the  growing  light  of  the 
mountain  top  and  the  new  day.  I  thought  of  that 
experience  again  as  I  watched  them  coming  along 
the  road  to  climb  the  hill  and  keep  Christmas  Eve 
with  Jim.  Only  in  this  instance  the  picture  was 
reversed  and  I  saw  them  coming  out  of  the  light 
into  the  gathering  darkness  of  the  night. 

There  were  many  from  St.  John's  who  had  come 
out  for  the  lark  of  it.  Men  that  worked  along 
Water  St.  and  Dock  St.  Girls  from  the  stores 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS       75 

came  in  little  groups  full  of  tickles  and  nudging 
one  another  as  things  happened  to  meet  their  fancy. 
Women  in  black  were  in  the  crowd  who  had  been 
before  along  a  sorrowful  way  and  turned  to  make 
this  journey  that  they  might  find  light.  Some  of 
them  plainly  showed  by  their  demeanor  that  they 
were  conscious  of  the  fact  that  Christ  was  the  best 
part  of  Christmas. 

Boys  were  in  the  throng,  many  of  them  swagger- 
ing along  with  sticks,  copying  the  manner  of  Eng- 
lish soldiers  who  feel  their  importance  when  on 
furlough.  Little  girls  tripped  along,  some  of  them 
singing  a  little  Christmas  song  that  begins 

"  I  saw  three  ships  come  sailing  in, 
On  Christmas  Day,  on  Christmas  Day." 

The  chatter  of  the  many  voices  did  not  alto- 
gether drown  their  childish  voices  and  they  rose 
like  bird  notes  above  the  rushing  winds  of  a 
forest. 

It  was  slippery  walking  and  now  and  then  some 
one  would  fall,  but  a  hand  would  be  reached  out  to 
them  and  they  would  again  go  on  with  a  laugh. 
Everywhere  was  the  glitter.  That  is  what  the 
Newfoundlanders  call  the  spectacle  of  a  snow  and 
icegirt  earth.  During  the  day  many  of  our  hands 
had  been  nearly  frozen  because  of  the  ice  on  the 
trees  and  they  were  festooned  and  sheathed  with 
ice  where  their  branches  were  a  little  out  of  the 


76  HARBOR  JIM 

wind  and  it  had  not  stripped  them  of  snow  during 
the  recent  storm.  It  was  a  white,  shining  world, 
softened  by  a  waning  light. 

Now  the  fellows  who  had  been  appointed  had 
been  at  work  some  time  with  torches  and  as  we 
looked  up  tree  after  tree  put  on  a  garland  of  jewels 
and  stood  forth  resplendent  for  the  feast.  Parson 
Curtis  had  lit  the  first  torch  from  the  Candle  of 
the  Lord,  as  Jirn  called  the  big  candle  on  the  hill- 
top, and  each  torch  had  been  lit  from  his. 

Murmurs  ran  thru  the  crowd  as  the  scene  grew 
more  beautiful  with  the  lighting  of  more  trees  and 
the  deepening  of  the  night  shadows.  It  was  now 
quite  dusky,  but  the  snow  kept  the  light  so  that 
we  could  see  the  workers  finishing  the  lighting. 

When  all  was  ready,  standing  beside  the  Candle 
of  the  Lord,  Jim  spoke : 

"  Brothers  in  Christ,  we  all  are  that  tonight.  I 
am  glad  you  have  come  to  celebrate  the  birth  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Pa'son  Curtis  will  lead  us  in 
prayer." 

Jim  knelt  in  the  snow  and  the  great  company 
followed  his  example.  The  prayer  was  short  and 
Jim  was  ready  to  announce  the  singing  of  the  first 
of  the  Christmas  hymns,  when  some  one  I  didn't 
know  made  his  way  thru  the  crowd,  and  waiving  all 
formalities,  touched  Jim  on  the  arm  and  spoke 
hurriedly : 

"  Rascal  Moore's  took  sick.    He's  got  a  ketch  in 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS       77 

his  glutch*  and  the  Missus  wants  you  to  come  over 
right  now  to  sit  up  with  him.  She  can't  manage 
him  no  how  and  she's  sent  for  you." 

I  was  standing  beside  Jim,  watching  now  his 
face  and  now  the  lights.  I  looked  squarely  at  him 
now  and  thought  of  the  weeks  of  preparation  that 
he  had  gone  thru  and  how  like  some  rare  flower 
that  blossoms  only  in  the  night  it  had  unfolded 
petal  by  petal  before  his  delighted  eyes.  I  thought, 
too,  of  Rascal  Moore,  who  had  so  long  been  living 
up  to  his  name.  It  seemed  unfair  indeed  to  ask 
him  to  go  now  on  this  Christmas  Eve  that  he  had 
planned  for  and  was  making  so  successful.  Let 
any  one  else  go  if  they  would,  but  surely  not  Jim. 

"  Tell  'em  I'm  on  my  way,"  was  all  he  said  to 
the  messenger,  and  he  moved  along  as  he  spoke. 

Turning  to  me  he  said,  what  made  me  feel  that 
he  was  still  human,  and  without  these  words  I 
think  I  must  have  doubted  it.  "  It  would  have  been 
a  little  easier  if  it  had  a'  been  Bob  instead  of 
Rascal." 

The  program  began,  though  Jim  was  leaving 
and  had  turned  his  back  on  it  all.  Will  Cunning- 
ham, whose  tenor  voice  often  led  in  the  little 
church,  started  the  Christmas  hymn  "  Holy  Night, 
Peaceful  Night,"  and  the  crowd  sang.  The  female 
voices  seemed  in  preponderance  and  I  fancied  the 
men  all  thru  the  crowd  were  doing  what  the  few 

*  A  sore  throat. 


78  HARBOR  JIM 

around  me  were  doing,  heaping  choice  epithets  upon 
Rascal  Moore. 

Jim  was  yet  to  see  more  of  his  Christmas  trees. 
He  may  have  forgotten  it,  but  his  friends  remem- 
bered that  Rascal  Moore's  place  was  just  about  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill  and  some  one  started  taking  off 
the  candles  from  the  trees  that  were  a  little  beyond 
and  decorating  those  that  were  in  the  direct  line 
toward  the  Moore  house.  There  were  so  many 
hundreds  the  work  was  speedily  performed.  The 
candles  were  re-lit  and  by  seven  o'clock  there  was  a 
row  of  lighted  trees  extending  straight  down  the 
hill  to  the  Moore  house  and  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
the  big  candle  could  now  be  distinctly  seen  against 
the  black  back-ground  of  the  night. 

It  may  be  the  angels  are  a  little  nearer  on  Christ- 
mas Eve  and  they  decided  to  add  to  the  wonderful 
beauty  of  that  night  for  which  Jim  had  worked  and 
prayed.  For  now  the  northern  lights  came,  adding 
great  plumes  of  light,  flashing  across  the  sky  in  a 
glory  burst  of  light. 

"  It's  the  dead  men  playing.  Come  to  earth,  they 
have,  for  Christmas  Eve,"  explained  Bob. 

When  all  was  ready  some  one  knocked  at  the 
Moore  door  and  brought  Jim  to  the  porch  and  he 
stood  bare-headed  looking  up  the  wonderful  ave- 
nue of  light  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  Then  he  lifted 
his  eyes  from  the  earth  lights  and  the  black  crowd 
to  the  sky. 


CHRISTMAS  WITH  JIM'S  FRIENDS       79 

"  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,"  Jim 
spoke  quietly,  but  many  could  hear  his  words. 
"  Mebbe  little  Peter  is  here  tonight  playing  in  the 
heavens  and  joinin'  us  in  our  songs.  The  Lord  of 
Joy  has  come  again !  " 

"  What  did  you  leave  us  for,  Jim  ?  "  some  one  in 
the  crowd  shouted. 

The  hundreds  stood  waiting  for  Jim's  answer. 
It  was  a  hush  of  expectancy,  such  as  fitted  that 
holy  night. 

Jim  answered  slowly,  measuring  his  words : 

"  I  heard  my  Father  calling  and  I  went  to  answer 
Him!" 


IX 
HONEY-MOONING  ON  THE  FLAKES 

JIM  lapsed  into  silence  and  his  wife,  laying 
down  her  mending,  poked  the  fire  and  soon 
had  tea  brewing.  The  Landers  are  tea  drink- 
ers like  the  English. 

"  It's  a  beautiful  story,  sir,  and  we  often  live  it 
over  again,"  Mrs.  Jim  said  as  she  poured  the  tea. 
I  noted  the  flow-blue  china  and,  answering  my 
query,  she  said : 

"  It  was  my  grandfather's.  He  brought  it  from 
England  sixty  years  ago.  Of  course  we're  awful 
careful  of  it,  but  we  use  it,  for  Jim  says  the  only 
way  to  have  plenty  is  to  use  what  you  have.  We 
always  keep  a  pot  handy  and  there's  always  a  ready 
chair,  for  many  a  time  a  neighbor  drops  in  and  we 
wouldn't  want  to  let  them  go  on  without  a  cup  o' 
tea, — a  cup  o'  kindness,  Jim  calls  it." 

"  Now,  I've  read  books,"  continued  Jim,  "  and 
they  always  end  just  where  they  really  should  be- 
gin. When  in  the  book  story  they  decide  to  get 
married,  then  they  stop  short.  If  I  should  ever 
write  a  story,  which  I  ain't  likely  to  do,  with  my 
little  learnin',  I'd  not  stop  there,  but  I'd  let  that  end 
only  the  first  chapter  and  I'd  let  the  story  go  on 
with  its  joy  and  sorrow  and  its  hope  and  its  fear 

80 


HONEY-MOONING  ON  THE  FLAKES      81 

and  the  problems  big  and  little ;  the  blessings  so  rare 
that  follow  along  even  as  they  do  in  real  life. 

"If  I'm  not  tiring  you,  I'd  be  glad  to  give  you 
another  half  chapter  afore  we  all  quit  and  turn  in 
for  the  night" 

Jim  put  down  his  empty  tea  cup  with  a  smack  of 
appreciation  at  his  wife's  proper  brewing  and  de- 
liberately cut  off  a  fresh  slice  of  tobacco  and 
crushed  it  into  the  bowl  of  his  pipe,  and  I  knew 
that  for  at  least  a  half  hour,  the  story  would  go  on, 
the  story  that  was  so  real  to  him  and  now  so  fasci- 
nating to  me. 

"  Bein'  both  of  us  very  sure,  and  the  Lord 
havin'  given  the  sign  o'  His  good  pleasure,  there 
beyond  Brigus,  we  didn't  wait  long  afore  we  were 
hitched  up. 

"  We  begun  right  here  in  this  house  and  we 
started  right  in  here  the  first  night  and  we  went  to 
work  on  the  flakes  the  next  morning.  We  didn't 
go  off  no  where's  for  a  honey-mooning. 

"  I  reckon  there's  no  place  a  real  woman  would 
rather  go  at  that  time  than  to  the  new  home  where 
her  life  is  agoin'  to  be  lived,  and  that  vacationing 
then  ain't  best  for  either.  In  any  case  we  never 
thought  a  travelling,  for  you  see  the  cod  was  run- 
ning well  and  'twas  the  height  of  the  season  and 
we  had  to  fill  the  flakes,  while  we  could. 

"  A  man  and  a  woman  who  gets  married  has  to 
get  acquainted  and  adjusted  one  to  the  other  and 


82  HARBOR  JIM 

there's  no  better  place  for  learnin'  to  conform  than 
right  where  they  are  agoin'  to  live  and  raise  their 
children. 

"  Course  a  couple  can  just  pretend  for  a  spell 
there  ain't  any  work  to  be  done,  but  there  is,  and  I 
reckon  the  sooner  they  face  it,  the  better  for  all 
concerned.  If  you're  agoin'  to  cut  bait,  there's  no 
use  standin'  round  dreadin'  it. 

"  When  I  was  a  boy  we  used  to  have  in  our 
house  a  religious  book  with  pictures  of  saints  in 
it  and  every  blessed  one  on'  'em  had  a  ring  around 
their  head,  halos,  I  think  they  call  'em;  now  I 
callate  that  a  home  ought  to  have  some  kind  of 
a  halo  over  it  and  it's  easier  to  get  it  fastened  on 
just  right  when  your  startin'  married  life  and  if 
you  don't  get  it  on  then,  like's  not  you'll  never 
have  a  real  home  but  just  a  house  for  feeding  and 
sleeping. 

"  We  got  the  halo  fixed  on,  eh,  Effie,"  and  the 
fisherman's  eyes  confirmed  his  words. 

"  So,  next  morning  we  put  on  our  fishin'  clothes 
and  went  out  on  the  flakes.  We'd  clean  fish  for  a 
spell  and  then  we'd  split  and  spread  for  a  spell. 
Now  I  know  from  the  standin'  point  o'  city  folks 
fishin'  clothes  ain't  very  scrumptious  to  look  at  and 
they  are  kinder  soused  with  smell,  but  our  clothes 
didn't  interfere  none  with  our  honeymoon. 

"  Her  dress  was  kinder  faded  blue,  but  I  always 
liked  blue.  It's  heaven's  color  and  often  the  sea 


HONEY-MOONING  ON  THE  FLAKES      83 

borrows  it,  and  that  morning  it  made  her  cheeks 
more  wonderful  pink  than  I'd  seen  'em  before. 

"There  was  a  kind  of  down-right,  deep-seated 
satisfaction  to  both  of  us  in  feeling  we  was  at 
work;  both  of  us  a  doin'  what  needed  to  be  done 
and  a  sharin'  of  the  burdens  or  the  joys  which  ever 
you  wants  to  call  'em.  For  I  have  found  that  some 
folks  get  their  joys  and  burdens  mixed  up  and 
don't  seem  to  know  one  from  'tother  till  it's  too 
late  and  they  wake  up  with  a  start  when  they  can't 
change  'em. 

"Sharin',  I  said,  and  that's  a  word  we  set  out  to 
understand  when  we  commenced  an'  with  us  it's 
always  been  a  big  word  ever  since. 

"  After  breakfast  that  first  morning  we  went  to 
the  flakes,  I  took  out  my  wallet  and  said  to  her: 
'  There's  no  sense  of  my  carryin'  this  round  when 
you  are  more  likely  to  need  it  than  I.  I'll  leave  it 
here  behind  the  clock  and  when  you  need  money, 
it's  yours  and  bein'  yours  you  don't  have  to  give 
any  account  of  it  'cept  to  your  own  conscience. 
More  properly  speakin'  it's  'ourn,  for  now  we're 
married  there  ain't  no  longer  yourn  or  mine,  but 
'ourn/ 

"  I  callate  that  if  a  man  can  trust  a  woman  to 
bring  up  his  children,  trust  her  with  his  house  and 
his  reputation  and  his  disposition,  he  ain't  no  cause 
to  fear  to  trust  her  with  his  wallet. 

"  Bob  McCartney  always  says  a  woman  ought  to 


84  HARBOR  JIM 

have  an  allowance,  but  I  tell  him  too  much  book- 
keeping is  bad  for  a  married  couple  and  then  how's 
a  man  able  to  judge  the  amount  of  an  allowance 
anyhow.  I  guess  most  women  earn  more'n  an 
allowance,  and  a  sharin'  always  seems  bigger  than 
an  allowance. 

"  I've  beared  folks  liked  honey-moons  'cause 
they  got  away  from  pryin'  eyes,  but  I  want  you  to 
know  that  our  honeymoon  want  never  once  inter- 
rupted. The  neighbors  see  we  had  work  to  do  and 
they  had  theirs  and  we  both  of  us  did  it.  The 
children  of  the  neighbors  was  often  round  with  us 
then,  but  they  made  us  think  of  'ourn  that  was  to 
come,  in  the  favor  of  the  Lord.  And  if  when  I 
helped  her  along  from  plank  to  plank,  I  held  her 
hand  a  little  longer  than  absolutely  necessary,  who 
was  to  care. 

"  There's  been  no  decided  change  in  the  years ; 
we've  been  honey-mooning  along  just  about  the 
same.  Course  with  the  children  she  had  more  to 
do  in  doors,  but  she's  always  managed,  if  there  was 
an  extra  run  o'  fish  to  come  to  the  flakes  and  help 
me  over  the  rush;  and  if  one  o'  the  kids  was  sick 
or  anything  extra  come,  why  I've  always  toted  the 
load  for  her." 

During  the  last  few  sentences  Jim  was  watching 
the  clock  intently  and  as  he  spoke  the  last  sentence, 
he  crossed  the  little  room  and  began  winding  the 
clock.  I  looked  up  and  there,  sticking  out  from  be- 


HONEY-MOONING  ON  THE  FLAKES      85 

hind  the  clock,  was  a  worn,  brown  wallet.  Evi- 
dently he  was  still  living  up  to  his  habit  of  sharing. 

"  It's  time  all  decent  folks  was  in  bed,"  he  said. 
"  We  done  want  to  ape  the  city  folks." 

So  bidding  them  good  night  I  went  out  into  the 
night.  The  rain  had  ceased  and  there  were  fast 
hurrying  clouds  breaking  up  and  I  could  see  the 
moon  high  over  the  spruces.  I  felt  my  way  along 
the  road  back  to  St.  John's. 


JIM  AND  HIS  BOOK 

"  rTl  HEY  that  seek  the  Lord  understand  all 
I     things."    Jim  spoke  with  his  usual  deliber- 
ation.   Again,  I  had  found  my  way  to  the 
little  house,  where  now  I  felt  welcome.     It  was 
"  lightin'  an'  readin'  "  time  as  Jim  called  it. 

"  They  that  seek  the  Lord,  understand  all 
things,"  repeated  Jim.  I'm  finding  it  true  more 
and  more.  It  is  true  that  the  Lord  giveth  to  a  man 
what  is  good  in  His  sight,  wisdom  and  knowledge 
and  joy. 

"  We  began  sharin'  the  book,  just  as  we  began 
sharin'  the  wallet.  I  callated  that  since  the  Lord 
by  wisdom  founded  the  earth  we'd  have  to  found 
our  earth  home  the  same  way. 

"  I'm  not  educated  with  figgering  knowledge.  I 
never  got  much  school  wisdom,  for  I  never  went 
much,  and  what  I  did  get  was  mostly  from  the  fel- 
low that  set  on  the  bench  with  me  instead  of  from 
the  teacher.  The  teacher  was  so  busy  with  fifty 
odd  pupils,  varying  from  four  to  twenty  years  in 
age,  that  he  didn't  have  much  time  for  any  one. 
He  had  to  skip  from  the  multiplication  table  to 
algebra  and  often  he  skipped  some  of  the  pupils, 
and  I  was  apt  to  be  the  one  he  overlooked. 

86 


JIM  AND  HIS  BOOK  87 

"  I  know  my  limitations.  A  city  chap  told  me 
about  them  once  and  I  thanked  him."  Jim  chuckled 
at  the  remembrance. 

"  '  Look  ahere,'  the  city  chap  said  to  me,  '  do  you 
know  you've  lost  all  the  G's  out  of  your  vocabulary. 
Your  words  don't  look  nor  sound  natural.  You 
better  start  in  putting  them  on.  And  there  is  no 
such  word  as  ain't.  Remember  that  or  you  can't 
talk  in  polite  society.' 

"  I  presume  he  knew,  for  he  talked  as  though  he 
was  on  good  terms  with  a  dictionary ;  and  when  he 
went  fishing  and  caught  the  hook  in  his  hand  he 
said  words  that  weren't  in  the  dictionary,  and  that 
came  near  breaking  the  first  commandment.  I've 
got  some  of  those  G's  put  back  on,  but  not  all. 
Two  things  is  helping  me  on  the  job.  the  reading  of 
the  Good  Book  and  the  children. 

"  Book  learnin's  a  fine  thing.  I'm  stumblin' 
along  thru  a  book  or  two  myself,  but  I  callate  the 
prophets  didn't  refer  to  book  knowledge  when  they 
wrote  of  wisdom,  but  rather  heart  and  soul  wis- 
dom. The  promise  I  recollect  was  this :  '  For 
wisdom  shall  enter  into  thine  heart  and  knowledge 
shall  be  pleasant  unto  thy  soul.1 

Then  he  reached  for  his  Bible,  but  before  he 
opened  it  he  said : 

"  This  is  the  most  valuable  thing  in  this  house. 
I've  been  in  houses  in  St.  John's  fussed  up  with 
furniture  and  things,  so  many  you  felt  you  would 


88  HARBOR  JIM 

disturb  'em  by  setting  down,  but  this  book  wasn't 
no  where  to  be  seen  and  once  I  asked  a  woman  to 
let  me  look  at  the  Book,  and  she  said  she'd  have  to 
keep  me  waitin'  till  she  found  it,  but  she  was  quite 
sure  she  had  it.  Guess  its  wisdom  never  got  very 
far  into  her  soul. 

"  It's  a  satisfy  in'  book.  Readin'  of  it  is  like 
quenching  your  thirst  at  a  hill  spring.  In  the  days 
afore  I  was  converted  as  a  young  fellow  with  the 
rest,  I  used  to  sail  over  to  the  French  Island  of  St. 
Pierre  and  smuggle  in  a  few  gallons  of  rum.  But 
it  never  quenched  by  thirst.  It  would  leave  me 
afterward,  all-fired  thirsty.  But  open  this  book  and 
you  find  fountains  of  cool  water. 

"  I've  tried  in  the  years  to  halt  at  the  springs  as 
Moses  and  his  people  did  when  they  crossed  the 
desert  and  come  to  a  spring.  There's  many  a  river 
of  the  water  o'  life  flowing  sweet  and  fair  as  we 
journey  thru  the  good  book,  but  to  me  the  promises 
are  the  springs  and  wife  and  I  have  lingered  long- 
est at  the  springs.  We've  marked  them  and  there's 
a  good  many  of  them  and  we  haven't  found  them 
all  yet.  She  has  helped  me  mark  'em.  A  fisher- 
man's hands  get  a  bit  calloused  and  clumpsy  and 
she  does  most  of  the  markin',  but  I  do  my  share  of 
the  discoverin'.  It's  always  a  happy  night,  when 
we  find  a  new  spring  and  rejoice  in  a  new  promise, 
but  it's  a  glad  night  when  we  quench  our  thirst  at 
any  one  of  the  never-failing  springs.  Their  all  of 


JIM  AND  HIS  BOOK  89 

'em  fresh  an'  sparklin' ;  there's  nary  a  one  of  His 
that  are  salt  or  bitter. 

"  Effie  keeps  a  pencil  handy  there  with  her  sew- 
ing things  and  when  I  find  a  new  promise,  I  hand 
over  the  book  to  her  and  she  underlines  it.  Then 
the  favorite  springs  we  mark  in  the  margin,  so 
we'll  find  'em  easy  as  we  journey." 

He  opened  the  book,  his  book  it  was  in  more 
ways  than  one.  It  was  very  much  worn ;  it's  leaves 
were  thumbed  and  now  and  then  as  he  turned  the 
pages  a  fish  scale  dropped  out. 

"  Here  are  the  Great  Mountain  Springs.  The 
Master  indicated  them  with  a  big,  Blessed,  so  we 
wouldn't  miss  them,  perhaps  the  clearest  one  is  this, 
Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God,  but  they've  all  got  sparkling  water;  their  all 
promises  that  quench  the  soul's  thirst. 

"  You  will  find  some  of  these  same  markers  in 
the  Old  Testament,  though  few  folks  seem  to 
search  there  for  the  Blesseds.  Here  are  some  of 
the  springs  that  are  marked  for  our  use. 

"  '  Blessed  are  they  that  wait  for  Him ! ' 

"  '  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgression  is  forgiven, 
whose  sin  is  covered.' 

"  '  Blessed  is  the  man  whom  thou  choosest  and 
causest  to  approach  unto  Thee,  that  he  may  dwell 
in  Thy  courts :  we  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  good- 
ness of  Thy  house,  even  of  Thy  holy  temple.' 

"  '  Blessed  is  he  that  considereth  the  poor/ 


90  HARBOR  JIM 

"  '  Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  Thee, 
in  whose  heart  are  the  highways  to  Zion.' 

"  Let  me  turn  the  pages  slowly  and  when  I  come 
to  a  favorite  spring  we'll  halt  a  moment,"  com- 
mented Jim  as  he  continues  his  reading. 

"  *  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to 
keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways.' 

"  It  won't  hurt  you  a  mite,  if  you  hev  to  wait 
awhile  atween  the  verses.  Most  parsons  read  the 
Bible  too  fast.  They  go  scurryin'  thru  the  readin' 
like  as  though  a  shower  was  comin'  an'  they  had 
to  get  in  out  of  it  post  haste." 

"  '  Fear  not ;  I  am  with  thee ;  be  not  discouraged ; 
for  I  am  thy  God ;  I  will  strengthen  thee,  yes,  I  will 
help  thee;  yea,  I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right 
hand  of  my  righteousness.' 

" '  With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him  and  show 
him  my  salvation.' 

"  That  there  first  part  has  puzzled  me  somewhat, 
for  I've  known  many  a  one  to  die  young.  My  folks 
used  to  say  the  good  died  young,  cause  the  Lord 
had  need  of  'em  over  there.  Struck  me  as  kinder 
queer.  But  I  reckon  He  meant  here  just  what  He 
said,  as  He  does  elsewhere.  It's  His  intention  to 
have  long  life  and  goodness  go  together,  only  some 
of  us  interferes  with  His  plan,  but  He  lets  us  inter- 
fere 'cause  it's  best  and  will  work  out  His  way  in 
the  end." 

"  '  He  shall  call  upon  me  and  I  will  answer  him. 


JIM  AND  HIS  BOOK  91 

I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble.  I  will  deliver  him 
and  honor  him.' 

"  '  Behold  I  will  bring  thee  health  and  a  cure.' 

"  '  The  Lord  shall  be  thine  everlasting  light,  and 
the  days  of  thy  mourning  shall  be  ended.' 

"  *  There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall 
any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling.' 

"  Did  you  think,"  said  Jim,  interrupting  his 
reading,  "  that  there  were  so  many  bright,  clear 
springs  for  the  traveller?  " 

Then,  without  waiting  for  any  answer,  he  con- 
tinued slowly  turning  the  pages,  reading  me  from 
his  marked  places. 

"  '  Delight  thyself  in  the  Lord  and  He  shall  give 
thee  the  desires  of  thy  heart.' 

"  *  The  joy  of  the  Lord  shall  be  your  strength.' 

"  '  He  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be  saved.' 

"  There  are  signs  put  up,  too,  not  only  to  mark 
springs  but  to  inform  us,"  interpolated  Jim. 

"  Now  once  as  we  was  journeying,  it  come  over 
me  that  these  springs  may  have  been  intended  for 
others  and  not  for  us  and  that  very  night,  I  come 
upon  this  sign  and  it  took  every  bit  of  doubt  out 
of  my  heart. 

" '  For  the  promise  is  unto  you  and  your  chil- 
dren.' How  could  it  be  plainer  than  that?  " 

As  he  closed  the  Book  I  said :  "  I,  too,  have  a 
Book  but  I  think  sometimes  I  have  lost  my  way  as 
I  journeyed  and  I  am  going  to  put  up  sign-boards 


92  HARBOR  JIM 

of  my  own  now,  so  I'll  never  lose  my  way  again. 
There  is  no  use  to  camp  in  dark  valleys  when  just 
beyond  are  the  hills  and  the  springs.  It's  unwise  to 
wander  thru  deserts  of  generalizations  when  the 
promises  are  close  at  hand." 

"  Yes,"  added  Jim,  "  what  do  we  care  whether 
King  Agag  was  hewed  to  pieces  or  not.  We  know 
the  words  of  salvation." 


XI 
RAILROADING  WITH  THE  KID 

IF  there  is  anything  that  I  have  told  you  about 
Harbor  Jim  that  sounds  feeble  or  sickly  senti- 
mental,  I  have  told  you  an  untruth.     Turn 
back  to  where  I  said  it,  and  cross  it  out.    It  doesn't 
belong  in  this  story.     It's  rank  injustice  to  Jim. 

I  have  fished  with  a  good  many  of  the  Landers. 
I  have  been  fishing  off  the  banks  when  the  weather 
has  kept  every  man  of  us  praying,  who  knew  how 
to  pray,  and  I  have  had  a  chance  to  judge  of  these 
bronzed  fellows,  big  of  hand  and  foot  and  the  same 
of  heart,  most  of  them,  as  they  met  the  wind  and 
weather,  the  fortunes  of  life  on  the  sea  and  the 
shore ;  and  I  want  you  to  know  I  never  have  known 
and  loved  a  manlier  man  than  Jim. 

Maybe  that  was  why  I  was  surprised  one  morn- 
ing as  we  were  returning  to  camp  from  a  trip  up 
the  Humber  River  after  salmon,  to  see  the  tears 
rolling  down  his  cheeks  and  to  note  that  he  hastily 
took  his  sleeve  and  wiped  his  face  and  swallowed 
hard. 

In  this  land  of  uncrossed  lakes  and  unfished 
rivers,  there  is  probably  not  a  fairer  one  than  the 
Humber  River  and  there  are  reminders  of  Norway 
both  on  the  lower  and  upper  Humber. 

93 


94  HARBOR  JIM 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  I  had  persuaded 
Harbor  Jim  to  leave  his  home  for  the  trip  inland 
to  the  Humber  for  salmon  fishing.  The  Lander 
does  not  take  readily  to  a  vacation,  indeed,  the  aver- 
age Lander  cannot  afford  to  take  one.  After  several 
days  of  argument,  Jim  gave  in,  with  this  sentiment : 

"  I  think  the  Lord  must  a  been  a  good  fisherman, 
else  He  wouldn't  a  picked  fishermen  to  follow  Him. 
He  wanted  to  swap  stories  with  'em  now  and  again. 
The  Master  knew  by  the  ruffle  and  the  shadow  on 
the  lake  when  the  fish  was  schooling  and  he  told 
Peter  where  to  let  down  his  nets.  I  have  an  idea 
He  went  away  sometimes  to  fish  as  well  as  to  pray 
and  that  fishin'  with  Peter  and  John,  they  come  to 
know  each  other  better." 

After  that  Jim  was  as  keen  as  a  boy  to  get  ready 
the  lines  and  the  flies  and  to  pack  our  little  outfit. 
We  went  on  the  train  to  Deer  Lake,  crossed  the 
lower  end  of  the  lake  and  went  up  the  river.  We 
fished  near  Steady  Brook  Falls  and  away  up  at  Big 
Falls  and  the  weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired. 
We  caught  more  salmon  and  trout  than  we  needed 
and  we  were  bringing  out  all  that  the  law  would 
allow  us  to  transport.  It  had  been  the  best  week's 
fishing  I  had  ever  had,  and  there  had  been  some 
surprises.  We  had  by  chance  fallen  in  with  an  old 
friend  of  mine  from  the  States  and  another  day 
we  had  seen  a  stag  of  great  size  following  the  birds 
down  to  a  pool. 


RAILROADING  WITH  THE  KID          95 

All  had  gone  so  well  with  us  that  I  was  at  a  loss 
to  account  for  this  sudden  demonstration  of  feel- 
ing. It  was  not  like  Jim.  I  knew  him  and  his  way 
well  enough,  to  know  that  he  would  not  wish  to  be 
questioned,  so  we  tramped  on  in  silence  over  the 
carry,  and  it  was  not  for  an  hour  afterward  that 
he  ventured  an  explanation. 

"  There  at  the  carry  you  may  have  thought  it 
strange,  the  way  I  acted  up.  That  little  fellow  we 
seed  there  playing  with  his  father's  canoe,  made 
me  think  of  little  Peter.  I've  never  mentioned  him, 
I  seldom  do,  but  I  think  a  good  deal  about  him  and 
often  I  believe  he  is  with  me.  He  made  the  carry 
and  past  over  to  Kingdom  Come  three  years  ago. 

"  Do  you  know  sometimes  when  I  used  to  watch 
my  little  Peter  playing,  and  the  light  and  shadows 
would  be  around  him,  I  used  to  think,  pardon  me, 
he  looked  like  the  pictures  I've  seen  of  the  carpen- 
ter's Son,  His  Son.  He  was  our  first  child,  born 
out  of  our  first  wonderful  love,  but  he  never  was  a 
strong  child.  I  don't  know  why.  I  never  could 
think  of  him  as  becomin'  a  fisherman.  He  used  to 
like  better'n  the  average  child,  to  journey  with  us 
thru  the  land  o'  the  springs  during  the  evenings, 
and  I  thought  mebbe  the  Lord  would  call  him  to  be 
a  preacher,  though  I  never  let  on  to  him,  what  I 
was  a  thinkin'. 

"  When  he  was  eight,  he  got  kinder  spindlin' 
and  at  the  same  time  he  wanted  to  go  to  the  woods 


96  HARBOR  JIM 

and  to  see  the  island.  He  had  another  hankering, 
too,  that  was  to  ride  on  the  trains.  He  used  to 
collect  engine  numbers  any  time  he  was  in  St. 
John's.  His  mother  used  to  say  that  she  believed 
he'd  be  an  engine  driver  instead  of  a  preacher. 

"  At  first  I  didn't  pay  much  attention  when  he 
asked  to  go,  but  as  he  got  thinner  and  paler,  I  began 
to  take  trips  with  him  on  the  railroad.  We  had 
great  times  together  going  to  places  and  for  a  time 
they  seemed  to  chuck  him  up  a  bit.  We  went  down 
to  old  Placentia  one  time.  Ever  down  there  ?  It's  a 
lovely  old  place ;  lies  sprawled  out  on  a  sandy  beach 
with  arms  reaching  round  it  and  the  hills  sending 
down  beauty  on  to  it.  We  climbed  the  hill  across 
the  gut  from  the  town,  Castle  Hill,  and  saw  the 
crumbling  ruins  of  the  old  French  Fort  and  we 
went  across  to  Bradshaw's  and  saw  the  Communion 
set  that  was  presented  by  King  William  the  Fourth. 

"  Sometimes  we  would  take  mother  along  and 
go  to  Top-sails  and  look  down  the  bay  as  we  ate 
our  lunch.  Then  one  time  we  went  over  to  Belle 
Isle  and  saw  the  men  working  in  the  iron  mines 
under  the  sea  and  Peter  talked  about  what  he  saw 
for  weeks.  I  was  worried  a  good  deal  about  him, 
but  we  both  felt  better  on  the  trips.  There  was 
always  something  to  see.  For  miles  our  railroad 
gives  you  Conception  Bay  with  now  a  frame  of 
hills  and  now  one  of  spruces.  Then  in  the  centre 
of  the  island  are  great  lonesome  barrens  where  the 


RAILROADING  WITH  THE  KID          97 

caribou  come  to  feed  and  the  little  nameless  lakes 
are  clustered.  Peter  had  'em  all  named,  but  I  think 
he  used  to  change  the  names  sometimes.  There 
were  so  many  his  little  mind  forgot  the  long  list. 

"  Then  'twas  fun  to  be  on  our  railroad.  It's  a 
road  that  throws  you  about  some;  makes  an  im- 
pression on  you,  and  a  good  hard  one,  sometimes. 
But  it's  the  only  railroad  we've  got  in  the  Dominion 
and  without  it  our  country  wouldn't  have  the  farms 
it  has  now,  nor  friends  like  you,  coming  and  going. 

"  I  remember  when  we  took  the  sleeper,  the  kid 
and  I.  We  didn't  often  do  that ;  we  couldn't  afford 
it,  but  this  time  we  were  going  over  to  the  Codroys 
and  I  put  the  little  fellow  to  bed  and  sat  down  for  a 
spell  of  thinking,  across  the  aisle  from  him.  Sud- 
denly the  train  gave  a  lurch.  Guess  the  engineer 
got  kinder  hot  stoppin'  to  drive  cows  off  the  track 
and  we  was  a  hittin'  it  up  as  much  as  thirty  miles 
an  hour.  What  do  you  think?  Little  Peter  come 
a  flyin'  down  from  his  berth  right  into  my  arms 
and  he  says,  not  hurt  a  bit,  only  tickled : 

"  '  Pa,  a  fellow  has  to  be  put  to  bed  more'n  once 
to  stay  put  on  our  road.' 

"  He  always  called  it  our  road,  though  he  knew 
its  short-comings  as  well  as  I. 

"  We  only  took  one  winter  trip  and  that  was  a 
long  one  and  I  blamed  myself  many  a  time  for 
taking  the  risk,  though  I  don't  know's  it  hurt  him 
any,  and  I'm  sure  I  always  kept  him  warm  and 


98  HARBOR  JIM 

covered.  When  we  got  to  Gaff  Topsails,  the  track 
ahead  was  solid,  sheer  ice  and  the  wind  swept  fierce 
across  it  from  the  south.  They  strapped  the  train 
on  the  track,  so's  it  wouldn't  tumble  over.  Seems 
funny  now,  but  it  wasn't  then.  But  we  didn't 
suffer  any.  They  had  lots  of  food-stuff  aboard  and 
when  it  give  out  the  train  hands  went  across  the 
snow  to  the  next  town  to  get  more.  It  took  us 
fifteen  days  to  get  to  Petrie's.  The  store-keeper  at 
Petrie's  had  been  up  to  St.  John's  to  buy  goods  and 
he  was  on  the  train  with  us,  anxious  to  get  home. 
He  was  kind  to  little  Peter  and  rode  him  pig-a-back 
every  day,  when  it  was  too  bad  for  him  to  walk 
about. 

"  The  store-keeper  reached  Petrie's  in  thirteen 
days,  two  days  ahead  of  the  train,  by  walking  the 
last  ten  miles.  His  folks  was  surprised,  for  they 
didn't  expect  him  until  the  train  got  in. 

"  Still  that  trip  we  made  better  time  than  the 
trains  sometimes  do  in  the  winter.  One  train  took 
twenty-six  days  to  get  across  the  island. 

"  On  these  trips,  Peter  and  I  would  come  home 
with  many  a  story  to  tell  mother  and  little  Peter 
would  be  wildly  excited  and  there  would  be  big, 
red  spots  in  both  his  cheeks ;  and  when  the  excite- 
ment of  the  trip  was  over  he  would  grow  weary. 
He  would  cough  and  want  to  eat  less  and  sleep  less, 
but  always  he  was  cheerful  and  a-planning  for  rail- 
roading with  his  Dad." 


RAILROADING  WITH  THE  KID          99 

It  came  time  to  camp  for  the  night  and  Jim 
stopped  the  story,  as  he  started  our  fire  and  I  began 
to  put  up  our  tent. 


XII 

THROUGH  THE  VALLEY  WITH  THE 
LITTLE  FELLOW 

WHEN  we  had  eaten  our  fill  of  fried  salmon 
and  blue-berry  duff,  that  no  one  could  stir 
up  and  bake  better  than  Jim,  and  the  camp 
was  tidied  for  the  night,  Jim  went  on  with  his 
story. 

He  had  come  to  the  hard  part  of  the  story,  the 
saddest  part  of  his  life,  and  I  was  glad  that  it  was 
dark;  I  knew  it  would  be  easier  for  him.  I  was 
glad,  too,  that  the  camp  fire  was  dying  down,  for 
thus  I  would  see  less  of  suffering  that  might  be  re- 
vealed could  I  see  his  face  in  the  brighter  light. 

"  I  had  the  Grenfell  doctor  come.  I'd  sent  ahead 
to  have  him  met  at  the  Hospital  Ship  and  a  doctor, 
a  great  man  from  the  States,  on  his  vacation,  they 
said,  come  over  here  to  our  place.  He  was  giving 
his  vacation  because  he  loved  Grenfell  and  the 
fishermen. 

"  Little  Peter  answered  all  of  his  questions  and 
I  was  sheer  proud  of  him.  I  could  see  the  Doctor 
liked  the  little  man.  He  said  to  Peter,  when  he  had 
finished  examining  him : 

"  *  I'll  make  you  better,  my  little  man,  if  I  can. 

100 


THROUGH  THE  VALLEY  101 

You  take  all  the  eggs  and  milk  the  hens  and  the 
cows  will  let  you  have  and  grow  so  fat  your  mother 
won't  know  you.' 

"  But  to  me,  he  said,  when  he  walked  down  the 
road  a  piece  with  me : 

"  '  You're  Harbor  Jim,  they  tell  me,  a  man  loved 
hereabouts  for  the  fights  you've  made  to  reach  the 
harbor  in  a  night  of  storm.  I  am  hating  to  tell  you, 
Jim,  but  it's  goin'  to  be  a  hard  fight  this  time,  the 
hardest  fight  you  ever  had.  There's  a  chance ;  but 
one  lung  is  all  gone  and  the  other's  bad.  I'll  do  my 
best,  but  if  you  have  to  go  thru  the  valley  with  the 
little  fellow,  I'll  only  hope  you  won't  forget  to  live 
up  to  your  reputation.' 

"  Then  he  left  me  all  manner  of  directions, 
about  eggs  and  milk  that  was  to  give  him  ammuni- 
tion for  the  fight.  Told  me  to  soak  him.  in  sun- 
shine and  so  on.  And  I  did  just  as  he  told  me.  I 
gave  him  his  cod-liver  oil,  when  I  had  to  invent 
fairy  stories  to  get  him  to  swallow  it.  I  wrapped 
him  up  in  blankets  and  sat  him  in  the  sunshine. 
His  mother  did  as  much  or  more'n  I  did.  I  used 
to  listen  of  a  night  to  see  if  he  breathed  all  right. 
I  listened,  when  ever  Effie  was  asleep,  to  see  if  I 
could  tell  if  he  breathed  as  strong  as  he  did  the 
night  before. 

"  Those  days  my  heart  was  sore  all  the  while, 
but  I  couldn't  let  on  for  fear  she'd  know  just  how 
I  felt." 


102  HARBOR  JIM 

Jim  swallowed  hard,  but  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  tell  me  the  story  of  little  Peter  and  he 
wasn't  the  man  to  back  down.  He  had  a  knife  and 
a  piece  of  a  birch  and  he  was  whittling  away.  The 
light  would  flare  up  a  moment  and  I  could  see  him 
looking  straight  ahead  into  the  fire  and  whittling 
faster. 

"  Then  I  had  to  cover  it  up  from  him ;  for  little 
Peter  was  sure  that  he  was  getting  better.  Seems 
though  the  worse  he  got,  the  surer  he  was  he'd  be 
better  tomorrow.  When  he  got  so  weak  I  had  to 
carry  him  across  the  room,  he  began  to  talk  more 
about  spring  and  railroading  again  with  his  dad. 

"  Sometimes  when  I'd  been  off  and  was  comin' 
home,  I  dreaded  so  seeing  him,  thus  weak,  that  I'd 
rather  a-gone  thru  the  Narrows  on  the  darkest 
night  God  ever  made,  than  to  face  Peter  with  a 
jolly  quip.  So  many  times  then,  and  so  many 
times  since,  I  have  thought,  if  I  only  could  have 
toted  the  load  for  him.  If  only  my  hand  could 
a-held  it  up  for  him.  He  was  so  little  and  frail  and 
I  was  big  and  strong.  And  it  was  the  utter,  awful 
helplessness  of  it  that  made  it  so  hard  to  bear.  We 
wanted  to  help  so  bad  and  there  was  so  very  little 
that  either  of  us  could  do. 

"  We  didn't  have  Clara  then.  She  didn't  come 
until  afterward,  and  then  Peter  was  all  we  had.  It 
didn't  seem  that  we  could  give  him  up.  I  reasoned 
with  myself  and  I  didn't  one  night  forget  the  Book. 


THROUGH  THE  VALLEY  103 

But  there  were  nights  when  we  halted  at  the 
springs  that  our  mouths  were  so  dry  and  parched 
that  even  the  Water  of  Life  seemed  not  to  be  suf- 
ficient to  quench  them. 

"  We  went  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  valley.  He 
grew  weaker  and  weaker.  Just  like  a  little  flower 
that  is  fading  away.  One  night  he  grew  worse.  It 
was  February,  and  I  put  on  my  snow  shoes  and 
started  for  St.  John's  for  a  doctor.  I  walked  away 
into  the  night  and  I  got  a  doctor  and  was  back 
afore  dawn. 

"  The  doctor  took  his  pulse  and  said : 

"  *  He'll  be  crossing  at  the  dawn.' 

"  Little  Peter  often  listened  to  the  Book  and  he 
was  beginning  to  love  it,  too;  and  just  before 
the  sun  broke  that  cold,  February  morning,  he 
whispered : 

"  '  God  is  light ;  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all/ 

"  Then  it  was  morning,  but  oh,  it  was  night  and 
the  valley  for  us!  The  doctor  left  us  and  we  sat 
alone,  her  hand  in  mine.  Eme  didn't  say  anything ; 
I  think  if  she  had  I  couldn't  a  bore  it.  And  there 
was  no  minister  present.  I  was  glad  of  that,  too. 
I  guess  they  all  want  to  help,  but  a  good  many 
on'em  that  I  have  knowed  want  to  argue  and  to  tell 
you  it's  all  right  and  you  don't  want  to  talk  just 
then  and  arguments  don't  offer  much  comfort.  The 
time  had  come  when  only  one  could  comfort  us 
and  we  had  to  find  Him.  Some  do  not  find  Him 


104  HARBOR  JIM 

for  days,  some  for  weeks,  some  never  find  Him 
again. 

"  The  words  that  kept  saying  themselves  over  to 
me  were  these :  '  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.' 
I  was  some  impatient,  some  bitter.  I  know  I 
oughtn't  to  have  been,  but  I  was,  and  I  answered 
the  Lord :  '  I  am  still ;  see  me  suffering  here ;  is  that 
all  the  message  ?  ' 

"  It  was  a  good  thing  we  had  something  to  do. 
We  had  to  see  to  the  little  wasted  body.  We  had 
to  arrange  for  the  service.  We  had  to  tidy  up  the 
house.  We  shared  it  all,  the  new  sorrow  and  the 
pain,  just  as  we  had  shared  the  wallet  and  the  joys. 
The  minister  come  way  from  St.  John's  and  I  was 
grateful  to  him.  I  don't  remember  just  what  he 
said,  but  I  am  sure  that  Peter  was  worthy  all  the 
good  he  said  of  him;  and  I  know  that  I  needed  all 
the  prayer  he  made. 

"  But  when  it  was  all  over  and  the  house  was  so 
quiet,  it  was  harder  still.  It  didn't  do  no  good  to 
listen  for  his  breathing.  There  was  no  need  to 
think  of  eggs  or  milk  for  the  little  fellow's  break- 
fast. He  was  gone ! 

"  I  was  very  tired  and  I  was  about  to  turn  in 
that  night  after  the  funeral,  when  Effie  said: 

"  *  We  need  to  halt  by  the  springs  more  than 
ever.' 

"  I  knew  she  was  right,  so  with  a  sad  heart  I 
opened  the  Book.  I  never  knowed  just  how  it  was, 


THROUGH  THE  VALLEY  105 

perhaps  the  Lord  himself  guided  my  hands,  but  we 
come  to  a  little  halt  at  the  14th  chapter  of  John. 
It  was  the  Spring  of  Comfort  and  Peace,  we  so 
much  needed.  It  was  the  place  where  so  many  have 
camped  before  in  their  night  of  sorrow  and  gone 
forth  strengthened  and  rejoicing  in  the  morning. 
We  were  very  thirsty  and  it  was  real  water,  the 
water  of  life  and  we  drank  as  we  never  had  drank 
before.  He  spoke  to  us  and  said:  'Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled ! ' 

"  I  won't  repeat  that  chapter,  but  it  has  never 
lost  its  power,  to  refresh  and  comfort  since  the  day 
He  first  uttered  the  words.  If  you  ever  have  to  go 
again  thru  the  valley  yourself;  halt  there.  It  will 
be  the  wisest  thing  you  ever  did. 

"  After  that  I  was  able  to  think  clear  again.  I 
said  to  myself.  I  trusted  the  Father  before  and  He 
never  did  me  wrong.  I  can't  just  see,  but  I  can 
trust  and  it  will  grow  brighter  and  so  it  has,  though 
sometimes  I  don't  see  quite  plain,  even  yet.  I  know 
that  He  must  have  a  place  for  the  little  fellow  and 
He  must  know  what  Peter  needs.  He'll  know  how 
to  pick  the  best  teachers  and  all  the  experiences  he 
needs.  My  Father  is  looking  out  for  him.  He  can 
do  no  wrong." 

For  a  little  while  all  was  quiet  but  for  the  chat- 
tering of  the  river  as  it  hurried  on  down  to  sea. 
The  wind  freshened  in  the  trees.  Messages  were 
passing  above  us.  Jim  brought  a  bundle  of  fresh 


106  HARBOR  JIM 

wood  and  the  fire  leaped  into  a  cheerful  blaze. 
There  was  not  any  more  that  needed  to  be  said. 
We  both  made  an  effort  to  shake  off  the  sadness 
and  fell  to  talking  of  the  weight  of  the  day's  sal- 
mon catch,  as  we  undressed.  We  carried  but  one 
little  tent  and  slept  together.  Some  hour  after  we 
had  gone  to  bed,  I  imagined  Jim  was  trying  to  find 
out  if  I  was  asleep  without  disturbing  me.  At  last 
he  decided  that  I  was  awake  and  said : 

"  I'm  sure  it's  all  right  about  little  Peter.  We're 
out  of  the  valley  now  and  are  finding  again  the 
sunny  plain," 


XIII 
THE  QUEER  ONE 

ARTIN  sure !  By  the  big  dipper,  it's  sartin 
shame !  "  Bob  McCartney  stood  at  my 
door  all  excitement  as  he  delivered  himself 
of  these  explosives. 

Bob  is  a  short  man  and  middle-wide,  and  he  is 
on  the  increase.  This  particular  morning  he  stood 
on  my  stoop,  the  very  personification  of  heat.  He 
took  off  his  hat  and  mopped  his  head  and  his  red 
face  and  without  waiting  went  on  with  his  message. 

"  The  Missus  Jim  is  took  sudden  and  terrible 
sick.  Doc  Withers  is  there  and  don't  know  what 
ails  her.  Think  of  anything  she  could  take?  Any- 
thing you  know  of  she  could  do?  Everybody  is 
suggestin' !  Neighbors  comin'  an'  goin'  all  the 
while,  tryin'  to  do  something  for  the  Missus  Jim. 
Didn't  seem  to  be  anything  more  I  could  do.  You 
can't  try  everything  to  onct,  so  think's  I,  I'll  go  and 
see  him.  He  comes  from  New  York  an'  mebbe 
he'll  have  a  new  idea." 

"  It  might  be  a  good  thing  to  let  one  or  two  ideas 
have  a  chance,"  I  replied.  "  I've  noticed  that  ideas 
that  get  rushed  and  crowded  don't  do  as  well." 

Bob  brightened  and  pulling  on  his  cap,  backed 

107 


108  HARBOR  JIM 

down  the  stairs.  "  I'll  tell  'em  to  go  slow  and  let 
the  first  ideas  have  a  chance." 

1  wisely  concluded  that  Jim  would  have  all  the 
help  and  more  than  he  needed  and  I  did  not  call  for 
three  days.  When  I  did  Mrs.  Jim  herself  answered 
my  knock  and  from  just  behind  Jim  shouted : 

"  She's  all  right  again.  Didn't  prove  so  bad  as 
we  thought.  Something  got  inside  of  her  that 
didn't  belong  there  and  soon's  it  got  out,  she  come 
along  all  right." 

"  Was  it  the  doctor  or  you,  Jim,  that  cured 
her  ?  "  I  asked,  as  I  sat  down. 

"  I've  been  thinking  o'  that  a  good  deal,  this 
day,"  he  answered. 

"  Everything  traces  back  to  the  Almighty,  when 
you  let  your  thought  travel  far  enough,  and  I'd  like 
to  thank  Him,  first.  I  prayed  a  good  deal  and 
though  I  don't  need  no  thanks,  I  believe  those  pray- 
ers helped.  Then  the  neighbors  helped.  They 
loaned  hot  water  bags  and  fetched  pillows,  an' 
done  all  manner  o'  things,  'till  thinks  I,  nobody 
ever  had  such  neighbors  as  us.  Then  there  was 
Doc  Withers.  Now  some  folks  give  all  the  credit 
to  the  docs,  but  I  don't;  neither  do  I  take  all  the 
praise  from  'em.  Their  His  servants,  too,  and  I 
callate  dividing  up  the  responsibility  and  the  thanks 
for  a  cure  is  a  mighty  difficult  task.  I  know  I  ain't 
worthy  to  do  it  myself." 

A  knock,  a  quick,  nervous  knock  came  just  then 


THE  QUEER  ONE  109 

and  Jim  answered  it,  throwing  wide  the  door,  as  he 
always  did,  with  his  cheery,  "  Come  right  in." 

A  thin,  tall  man  with  a  long  rain-coat  and  big, 
black-rimmed  glasses  stepped  in.  Snatching  off  his 
gray  Alpine  hat,  he  introduced  himself. 

"  I'm  Clarence  O.  Jewett,  of  Boston.  Am  visit- 
ing in  Newfoundland,  spending  two  and  a  half  days 
here.  Came  in  on  the  steamer  '  Rosalind '  from 
Halifax,  yesterday,  going  back  tomorrow.  In  St. 
John's  I  was  told  of  Harbor  Jim  and  that  his  wife 
was  very  ill,  and  I  hired  a  car  and  came  out  here 
and  I  am  ready  to  give  your  wife  a  treatment.  I 
have  been  thinking  that  perhaps  the  Lord  is  using 
me  to  bring  the  only,  real,  true  religion  to  New- 
foundland. When  your  wife  has  seen  the  light  and 
comes  to  know  the  truth  that  sin  and  everything 
material  is  a  delusion,  deception  and  a  snare,  she 
will  understand  that  being  perfect  she  cannot  really 
suffer  from  an  illusion.  This  earth  and  all  things 
upon  which  we  look  are  but  shadows.  When  your 
wife  is  whole  again  and  understands  the  non-reality 
of  matter,  she  will  testify  and  others  may  hear 
and  heed,  until  many  on  this  island  will  come  to 
praise  the  Lord  and  to  remember  Clarence  O. 
Jewett,  of  Boston,  who  brought  the  only,  real,  true 
religion — 

At  this  moment,  Mrs.  Jim,  who  had  stepped  out 
at  the  knock,  re-entered  the  room  and  Jim  had  his 
first  chance  to  speak. 


110  HARBOR  JIM 

"  This  is  the  Missus.  The  news  you  received  is 
a  little  late,  for  she  has  recovered.  Since  you  are  a 
mound-tripper  and  doin'  the  country,  probably  we 
ought  not  to  keep  you.  The  road  across  is  about 
five  hundred  miles,  and  if  you're  goin'  to  see  any 
more'n  St.  John's,  you'll  have  to  hurry  afore  your 
ship  sails.  There  was  a  man  down  here  last  year 
who  staid  two  days  in  St.  John's  and  then  wrote  a 
book  about  Newfoundland,  but  he  skipped  a  few 
things." 

The  man  was  keenly  disappointed.  He  changed 
his  weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  for  he  had 
not  yet  taken  the  seat  that  Jim  had  offered  him. 
He  took  off  his  glasses  and  wiped  them  and  then 
seating  himself  and  clearing  his  throat,  resumed. 

"  The  cure  is  but  temporary.  Your  wife  will  not 
be  well  until  she  has  learned  that  there  is  but  one 
thing  to  know  and  that  is  the  truth  and  the  truth 
about  the  truth.  And  though  you  cannot  expect  to 
understand  it,  I  will  start  you  on  the  way  toward 
the  one,  only,  real,  true  religion." 

"  Am  I  supposed  just  to  listen?  "  asked  Jim,  "  or 
do  you  think  I  might  know  enough  to  ask  a  ques- 
tion now  and  then  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  certainly,"  the  queer  man  replied. 
"  I  have  an  answer  for  every  question  that  is  abso- 
lutely logical.  Take  the  question  of  the  existence 
of  evil ;  that  is  the  most  puzzling  question  in  all  the 
world.  I  have  an  answer  to  it  that  is  entirely  satis- 


THE  QUEER  ONE  ill 

factory.  Nobody  can  contradict  it.  Evil  is  matter. 
Matter  does  not  exist.  Therefore  evil  does  not 
exist  and  since  it  does  not  exist,  it  never  could  have 
been  created.  Evil  and  matter  are  just  wrong 
statements  of  mind.  Do  you  see?  Is  it  perfectly 
clear  to  you?  " 

Jim  gulped,  as  though  he  was  in  swimming  and 
had  accidentally  swallowed  some  salt  water.  I  had 
come  to  have  a  profound  admiration  for  Jim  and 
was  coming  more  and  more  to  appreciate  his  whole- 
some philosophy,  and  now  I  was  waiting  to  see 
what  Jim  would  do  with  this  man's  statements. 

"  You  have  doused  me  beyond  my  depth,  I 
guess,"  was  the  somewhat  puzzled  reply  of  Jim. 
"  It  isn't  plain  to  me.  But  heave  ahead  a  little  and 
mebbe  I'll  get  some  idea  of  what  port  you're  sailin' 
to.  The  only  thing  you  have  said  so  far  that  has 
any  familiar  sound  to  me  is  what  you  said  about 
the  one,  only,  real,  true  religion.  I've  heard  that 
several  times  before.  Seems  though  most  every 
kind  o'  religion  and  every  different  church  feels 
that  it's  got  the  one,  only,  real,  true  religion. 
Strikes  me,  every  blessed  one  on'em  has  got  some 
of  the  real  religion  and  also  some  foolishness  and 
smallness  and  no  one  on'em  has  got  the  pure,  undi- 
luted article  that  Jesus  Christ  brought  to  the  world. 
I  think  He  come  the  nearest  to  livin'  the  real  relig- 
ion. But  how'd  you  discover  that  your's  was  the 
only  religion  ?  " 


112  HARBOR  JIM 

The  queer  man  evidently  thought  the  question 
irrelevant,  for  he  was  off  again. 

"  It  is  now  proved  that  all  is  mental  or  mind. 
Your  thoughts  are  the  opposites  of  mind.  They 
do  not  exist.  They  are  even  as  all  other  things, 
non-existent,  non-real.  God  is  the  only  reality. 
There  is  no  thing  outside  of  God.  You  are  not 
separated  from  Him." 

"  Then,"  interrupted  Jim,  "  how  about  the 
Prodigal  Son?  Didn't  he  get  separated  from  his 
Father?" 

"  That  is  speaking  in  terms  of  no-mind.  You 
have  not  yet  grasped  the  thought.  Nothing  can 
exist  but  good.  God  never  saw  the  Prodigal  Son 
until  he  came  back,  because  he  never  has  or  can  see 
anything  evil." 

"  Your  God  may  not  see  or  know  evil,  sickness 
or  suffering  or  anything  that  makes  a  man  miser- 
able. I  say,  your  God  mayn't,  but  mine  does.  It's 
his  knowledge  that  makes  Him  compassionate.  If 
He  didn't  know  what  was  happening  to  His  own 
children,  that  He  had  created  and  planned  for,  then 
I'd  rather  pray  to  Bob  McCartney.  Think,  sir, 
what  kind  of  a  mother  would  your  mother  a-been, 
if  she  hadn't  known  when  you  cried,  and  you  hadn't 
a-been  able  to  climb  up  and  lay  in  her  arms  and  be 
comforted  and  forgiven?  She  wouldn't  a-been  a 
mother  and  God  wouldn't  be  a  God  unless  He  knew 
what  was  a-happening  to  His  own  children !  Why 


THE  QUEER  ONE  113 

man  alive  didn't  He  make  the  world;  aren't  they 
His,  the  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills,  the  lightenin' 
and  the  thunder,  the  sweet  grass  and  the  flowers 
and  all  things  in  and  on  and  under  the  earth?  If 
He  has  gone  off  and  forgotten  it  all  and  don't  know 
good  and  evil,  if  He  don't  know  when  we're 
tired  and  failin'  and  tryin'  again,  why  what  would 
be  the  use  o'  prayer  or,  for  that  matter,  for  livin' 
at  all?" 

The  queer  man,  at  this  point,  removed  his  rub- 
bers, but  made  no  comment  upon  Jim's  questions. 
Perhaps  his  feet  were  so  warm  it  was  hard  for  him 
to  keep  his  head  cool. 

"  You  are  utterly  deceived,"  he  continued.  "  You 
are  confusing  the  real  and  the  non-real.  You  are 
following  after  shadows  that  do  not  exist  at  all. 
You  do  not  know  the  truth.  You  are  bound.  You 
are  looking  at  the  mist  of  matter  that  will  disappear 
as  the  knowledge  of  truth  develops  within  you.  If 
you  will  begin  to  deny  the  existence  of  evil,  you  will 
begin  to  banish  disease  and  ultimately  you  will  un- 
derstand that  all  things  are  but  illusions." 

"  Pears  to  me,"  Jim  said,  as  the  queer  man 
paused  for  breath,  before  launching  more  sentences 
about  the  truth.  "  Pears  to  me,  you're  sailin'  round 
in  a  circle,  and  havin'  a  hard  time  dodging  the 
winds  o'  logic  Call  the  flower,  the  mountain,  and 
the  man,  shadows  and  illusions;  if  you  will.  I 
don't  object  to  that,  only  I  want  you  to  agree  with 


114  HARBOR  JIM 

me  that  they  are  beautiful.  The  only  thing  I  am 
afeared  of  is  that  you'll  make  some  folks  think  this 
is  not  His  world  at  all ;  and  I  want  them  to  know 
that  this  is  His  world  and  that  He  planned  these 
things  you  have  re-named  shadows  and  illusions.  I 
callate  there's  danger  in  your  statements  when  you 
come  to  follow  them  out.  Then,  too,  these  shadows 
have  been  actin'  about  uniform  for  as  long  ago  as 
the  book  o'  Genesis  and  afore  that,  and  I  don't  pro- 
pose to  try  to  get  much  farther  back,  for  it  makes 
my  eyes  ache  to  see  back  o'  that. 

"  When  you  tell  me  this  body  o'  mine  is  an  il- 
lusion, it  kinder  riles  me,  for  I  believe  the  Good 
Father  planned  this  body  as  much  as  He  planned  a 
soul  for  me.  It's  a  house  for  my  soul  as  long  as 
I'm  in  this  earth  and  I  callate  it's  to  be  treated 
holy  while  it  houses  my  soul.  I  know  it  will  get 
kinder  old  and  dingy  bye  and  bye  and  I'll  be  quit- 
ting it,  but  that  ain't  no  good  reason  for  neglectin' 
it  now. 

"Of  course  if  what  you  say  was  true  and  there 
was  no  material  and  it  was  all  in  thinking,  then  we 
wouldn't  have  to  wear  clothes,  nor  eat  food  and 
you  wouldn't  have  to  wear  your  specs,  nor  your 
goloshes,  because  it's  a  little  damp  under  feet  this 
morning.  You  may  be  different,  Mr.  Jewett,  with 
your  one,  only,  real,  true  religion,  but  we  Landers 
up  here  all  get  a  little  older  as  days  go  by;  we  all 
like  to  be  cheered  by  food  and  fuel,  and  we  all  feel 


THE  QUEER  ONE  115 

the  difference  between  winter  and  summer,  and  we 
all  travel  sooner  or  later  to  the  better  land.  Seems 
to  be  His  plan." 

The  queer  man  was  gathering  words  for  new 
statements;  but  while  he  was  listening  to  the  last 
of  Jim's  replies,  he  was  looking  intently  at  his 
hands.  If  it  may  be  permitted  to  speak  in  ordinary 
fashion  of  a  man  of  his  philosophy,  his  hands  were 
dirty  and  he  had  become  painfully  aware  of  it. 
Jim  noticed  his  concern  and  remarked  with  a  cer- 
tain acerbity  of  tone : 

"  You  don't  clean  your  hands  with  soap  and 
water,  do  you  ?  " 

The  queer  man  in  turn  showed  some  increase  of 
warmth  as  he  replied : 

"  I  certainly  do  when  I  need  to,  that's  only  com- 
mon sense." 

"  Well,"  mused  Jim,  this  time  very  slowly,  "  do 
you  know,  I  don't  believe  in  using  too  much  soap, 
it's  caustic  and  it's  harmful  sometimes  to  the  skin, 
but  do  you  know,  once  in  a  while  I  get  a  bit  riled 
and  dirty  inside  o'  me  and  I  decide  that  it's  only 
common  sense  to  clean  that  just  as  I  would  my 
hands." 

The  queer  man  sniffed  and  asked  for  a  Bible. 
"Have  you  a  Bible?" 

He  won't  get  ahead  very  fast,  if  he  thinks  Jim 
doesn't  own  a  Bible  and  know  its  contents,  I 
thought;  but  I  kept  my  thoughts  to  myself,  for  the 


116  HARBOR  JIM 

man  had  utterly  ignored  me,  thus  far,  for  Jim  was 
keeping  him  as  busy  as  he  cared  to  be.  Before 
Jim  could  answer  he  saw  his  Bible  on  the  little 
table  and  it  opened  easily  and  he  saw  at  once  the 
markings  and  said : 

"  Glad  you  read  your  Bible,  but  it  needs  another 
book  beside  it  else  you  can't  understand  it  and  it's 
a  closed  book.  You  need  a  key  to  the  Scriptures." 

"  I  callate,"  replied  Jim,  "  that  a  man  ought  to 
be  able  to  read  his  own  Bible  and  interpret  it  for 
himself.  The  Lord  has  given  every  man  a  key  in 
his  own  mind  and  heart.  The  fathers  that  have 
lived  and  died  didn't  have  your  key,  but  they  got 
comfort  out  of  this  Book.  Ever  since  the  words 
were  uttered  they  have  been  helping  and  some  on 
'em  is  so  simple  and  beautiful  that  little  fellows 
can  read  and  be  blessed  in  the  reading." 

The  queer  man  read  now  from  Jim's  Bible: 

"  And  Jesus  went  about  preaching  the  gospel  of 
the  kingdom  and  healing  all  manner  of  diseases." 

"  Do  you  believe  that  ?  There  it  is  plain,  too 
plain  to  be  contradicted." 

"  Yes,  I  believe,"  answered  Jim. 

The  queer  man  was  surprised  and  it  gave  Jim 
time  to  add : 

"  Jesus  also  said :  '  According  to  your  faith  be  it 
unto  thee.  All  things  are  possible  to  Him  that 
believeth.' 

"  There's  an  old  Indian  lives  down  the  road  a 


THE  QUEER  ONE  117 

piece,  who  was  all  tied  up  with  rheumatiz.  He  got 
back  the  other  day  from  New  Mexico,  all  cured. 
He'd  never  heard  of  you  or  your  key  to  the  Scrip- 
tures. He'd  been  to  a  place  called  Chimayo.  Went 
to  a  little  clay  church  down  there  and  scraped  up 
some  of  the  clay  from  the  floor  and  mixed  it  with 
water  and  drank  it  and  has  come  back  well.  Every 
year  or  two  somebody  goes  from  St.  John's  away 
to  Quebec  and  out  to  a  place  called  St.  Ann's, 
where  they  got  a  wrist-bone  of  hers,  so  they  tell, 
and  some  of  'em  come  back  well  again. 

"  There's  an  old  lady  in  Quidi  Vidi  nigh  on  to 
eighty-five.  She  got  sick  when  she  was  eighty, 
grew  feeble  and  pindling.  She  took  to  readin'  this 
Book  and  praying  all  by  herself  and  she  got  her 
strength  back  and  she  is  as  chipper  as  any  woman 
of  sixty  in  the  Dominion. 

"  What  was  it  cured  her ;  what  is  it  that  cures 
lots  of  folks  for  a  time,  though  we  mustn't  forget 
that  we  all  go  hence  according  to  His  plan.  He's 
evidently  got  a  good  many  rooms  in  His  big  house 
and  He  doesn't  intend  for  us  to  stay  too  long  in 
any  one. 

"  Did  these  folks  that  drank  mud,  prayed  in 
front  of  a  wrist-bone,  or  just  prayed,  believe  that 
they  was  living  in  the  shadows;  did  they  build  up 
an  airy,  fairy  world  and  re-name  things ;  not  a  bit 
of  it;  they  was  cured  just  as  you  and  I  might  be, 
can  be  cured.  Mr.  Jewett,  they  had  faith! 


118  HARBOR  JIM 

"  I  believe  it's  the  measure  of  faith  we  have  that 
counts.  The  Lord  speaks  about  our  doing  things 
He  did  and  greater  also,  and  we  shall  just  as  our 
faith  grows.  I  believe  in  praying  because  it  makes 
that  faith  grow ;  I  believe  in  reading  the  Book  for 
the  same  reason.  If  I  had  faith  enough,  I  could, 
like  Him,  remove  mountains  or  walk  upon  the  sea ; 
but  it  don't  grieve  me  because  I  can't  in  a  moment 
do  the  things  the  Divine  Son  did.  Faith  always 
seems  to  me  to  be  a  bigger  thing  than  love.  I  guess 
faith  is  love  that  has  learned  how  to  bring  things 
to  pass. 

"  Let's  not  expect  too  much.  Let's  remember 
we  and  the  world  have  yet  to  do  a  good  deal  of 
growing.  I  don't  measure  God's  greatness  nor  His 
goodness  by  the  number  of  times  He  cures  my 
stomach-ache.  It  may  be  I'm  pretty  careless  and 
a  certain  amount  of  pain  is  about  the  only  handy 
Teacher  He  can  find  for  me.  It  may  be  that  in 
this  first  room  some  of  us  will  have  to  be  some- 
what ailing,  but  let's  not  forget  He  gives  us  grace 
to  bear  as  well  as  strength  to  heal.  I  only  ask  to 
be  able  to  do  my  work  and  not  grunt. 

"  I  callate  that  if  your  one,  only,  real,  true  relig- 
ion is  devoting  its  chief  thought  and  its  most  time 
to  simply  curing  aches  and  pains,  it  ain't  the  relig- 
ion of  our  Lord  for  He  went  about  doin'  all  kinds 
of  good." 

The  queer  man  was  fidgeting  and  from  his  looks 


THE  QUEER  ONE  119 

I  concluded  he  was  about  to  seek  new  pastures. 
Jim,  noticing  this,  continued : 

"  I  appreciate  your  coming,  sir,  proves  there's 
good  in  your  religion.  You've  got  the  missionary 
zeal  and  that  deserves  to  be  kept.  After  all  we  ain't 
so  far  apart,  as  it  might  seem,  some  ways;  but 
we're  starting  from  different  points.  I  believe  this 
is  a  real  world,  an  intended  world,  with  real  folks 
and  real  facts  and  that  it  is  a  good  world,  His 
World,  and  it's  a  goin'  to  be  better ;  only  not  all  to 
onct,  by  re-naming  the  old  and  beautiful  things  He 
planned  and  sent." 

Mr.  Jewett  was  wise  in  withdrawing,  for  Jim 
was  gaining  in  power  and  facility  of  expression. 
Now,  as  the  man  edged  toward  the  door,  Jim  ex- 
tended his  hand  and  said : 

"  Don't  lose  your  logic,  'cause  there's  no  harm  in 
mixin'  logic  and  religion.  If  religion  is  any  good 
it'll  stand  logic.  Remember  the  Lord  knowed  what 
He  was  a-doin'  and  He  ain't  abandoned  His 
children." 

When  he  was  well  outside,  Mrs.  Jim  spoke : 

"  Jim,  do  you  think  he  has  a  screw  loose  in  his 
loft?" 

But  the  queer  man  was  back  in  a  moment,  with 
a  less  confident  air,  but  this  time  he  had  but  one 
brief  sentence : 

"  Please,  I  left  my  rubbers." 

Printed  in  United  States  of  America. 


